Gaza’s civil defense agency reported a tragic escalation in violence, with Israeli forces killing at least 44 people on Thursday alone, including 25 in Gaza City. This surge in military action appears to be part of a heightened offensive as Israeli troops mobilize around Gaza City, the largest urban area in the Palestinian territory.
The United Nations has declared a state of famine in Gaza, where nearly one million residents are facing dire conditions, particularly in and around Gaza City. A senior Israeli military official indicated that the anticipated offensive aimed at capturing Gaza City could result in mass displacement, projecting that up to a million Palestinians might be forced to flee southward.
In a harrowing incident, civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted a tent shelter housing a displaced family in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of five individuals, including three children. Witness accounts from nearby residents, such as Israa al-Basous, describe chaotic scenes as their surroundings were engulfed in flames. Al-Basous recalled the terrifying moments when bombing erupted, leaving her and her children in a panic, covered in shrapnel.
At Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the influx of the deceased and injured painted a grim picture. The morgue was filled with bodies wrapped in white shrouds, while grieving relatives struggled to comprehend their losses. One mother mourned her dead son on a stretcher, questioning, “Who are you leaving me to, son? Why? Why?”
In the Nuseirat refugee camp, another reported airstrike led to the deaths of seven individuals, three of whom were children. Eyewitness accounts detailed the devastating aftermath, with survivors like Yousef Suleiman sharing the loss of his nephew and his family in a pre-dawn strike that obliterated their tent shelter.
The challenges of media restrictions and the inaccessibility of various regions in Gaza hinder independent verification of the casualty figures reported by the civil defense or the Israeli military. The ongoing conflict, which reignited after Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023—claiming 1,219 lives, predominantly civilians—has led to catastrophic retaliatory measures. According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, the ongoing offensive has claimed at least 64,231 Palestinian lives, many of whom are also civilians, a figure the United Nations regards as credible.
As the humanitarian crisis deepens and violence escalates, the international community continues to closely monitor the developments in Gaza, pressing for a resolution to a conflict that has already caused immense suffering.
