Palestinian rescuers reported a devastating Israeli airstrike in Gaza City that killed 13 individuals at a school early Monday morning, intensifying an already dire humanitarian crisis as Israeli forces escalate their operations against Hamas. This attack followed nearly three months of a blockade on essential humanitarian supplies, leading to increased criticism and condemnation from the international community.
World leaders gathered in Madrid over the weekend, expressing their outrage at what they described as an “inhumane” and “senseless” war, urging an immediate halt to hostilities. Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations are sounding alarm bells, stating that the limited aid that has begun to trickle into Gaza is grossly insufficient to alleviate the crisis affecting food security and healthcare.
In the Al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City, rescuers retrieved the bodies of 13 victims and treated 21 individuals injured from the strike that targeted Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School. Just one day earlier, Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of 22 people and numerous injuries throughout Gaza, according to Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for the civil defense agency.
Israel has intensified its military campaign, mobilizing tens of thousands of reserve troops with the stated aim of defeating Hamas. In response to the ongoing violence, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his desire for a swift resolution to the conflict. On the same day, Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, echoed calls for an arms embargo against Israel and urged for unrestricted and unconditional access for humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The humanitarian catastrophe is deepening as rescuers work to extract bodies from the rubble in the aftermath of a series of bombings. In Jabalia, northern Gaza, seven individuals tragically lost their lives when their home was struck, with many others trapped beneath the debris. Civil defense officials lamented the lack of necessary tools and equipment to conduct effective search and rescue operations.
More casualties were reported, including a woman who was seven months pregnant, during an attack on tents that were sheltering displaced individuals in Nuseirat, where conditions continue to deteriorate. The brutal toll also included the director of operations for the civil defense agency, Ashraf Abu Nar, and his wife. Attacks have been widespread, affecting various parts of Gaza, including Deir el-Balah and Beit Lahia.
Despite recent attempts by Israel to slightly ease the blockade that has intensified the humanitarian situation, many experts argue that the delivery of aid remains grossly inadequate. On Sunday, the Israeli defense ministry announced that 107 trucks were allowed entry into Gaza, but aid workers criticized the effort as insufficient to meet the overwhelming needs of the civilian population, with reports of aid being looted.
The World Food Programme has intensified its calls for greater volumes of food to be delivered into Gaza as hunger and anxiety continue to escalate. An executive director of a U.S.-backed humanitarian organization preparing to send aid into the region abruptly resigned, claiming that the group could not operate in alignment with humanitarian principles, and stating that there needs to be more integrity in aid distribution.
Gaza’s health ministry reported that since the ceasefire collapsed on March 18, at least 3,785 people have been killed within the territory, raising the overall death toll since the onset of the war to 53,939, predominantly civilians. The violence initially sparked by Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023 claimed the lives of 1,218 individuals, also primarily civilians, while Hamas militants captured 251 hostages, with a detailed report suggesting that at least 57 of them are still in Gaza.
