Gaza: Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have intensified, resulting in the deaths of at least 13 Palestinians since dawn on May 17, 2025, including three members of the same family.
The situation has worsened as the Red Crescent has renewed its urgent appeal for Israel to reopen crossings to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, describing the territory as being “left to starve and ache” due to the ongoing siege and bombardment.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, the war has so far claimed the lives of at least 53,119 Palestinians and injured 120,214, while the Government Media Office has updated the death toll to more than 61,700, with thousands more presumed dead under rubble. T
he conflict traces back to the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,139 people in Israel and resulted in over 200 captives taken.
Adding to the crisis, Khalil al-Degran, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Ministry of Health, reported that the effects of starvation are becoming increasingly visible among Palestinians.
Widespread anemia caused by malnutrition is preventing people from donating blood, leading to an acute and serious shortage of blood in hospitals. This shortage is particularly devastating as medical facilities are simultaneously overwhelmed with critical injuries from ongoing Israeli bombardment.
The combined impact of starvation and relentless violence deepens the humanitarian disaster facing Gaza, where access to essential supplies remains severely restricted.
