Image Cedits: Anadolu Agency
Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported a death toll in the recent violence, with at least 80 Palestinians killed in the past 24 hours alone. The victims, including women and children, underscore the growing humanitarian crisis in the enclave, which has been besieged by ongoing Israeli airstrikes and ground operations.
According to officials of the Ministry of Health of Gaza, victims were found in several places in the Gaza Strip, mainly as a result of airstrikes and shells. Hospitals and medical facilities are overwhelmed, struggling to cope with the influx of casualties and running out of essential supplies.
A spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health stated that families are being torn apart and the death toll continues to rise. “The situation is dire, and we urgently need international assistance to address the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our eyes.”
Israeli military sources cited the targeting of Hamas and Islamic Jihad as justification for the airstrikes and emphasized efforts to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and prevent rocket attacks on Israel. However, reports of civilian casualties have drawn widespread condemnation and calls for an immediate end to hostilities.
Home to nearly 2 million Palestinians, the Gaza Strip has been subject to years of blockade and periodic military attacks that have increased poverty, unemployment and humanitarian suffering. The current escalation is one of the deadliest in recent years, increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure and residential areas.
Efforts by international mediators to broker a ceasefire and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid have so far yielded limited results due to entrenched views and deep hostility between Israeli and Palestinian factions.
“The international community must act swiftly to end this senseless violence and protect civilians,” said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. “Every civilian casualty is a tragedy that underscores the urgency of finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the escalating violence, calling it “a massacre of innocent civilians.” He urged the United Nations and world powers to intervene and hold Israel accountable for its actions.