Key points
- Airstrike on Beit Lahia kills 9 Palestinians
- Journalists and humanitarian aid workers among those killed
- Fuel supply to water wells stopped amid Israeli blockade
- Hamas says ball is in Israel’s court after hostage offer
ISLAMABAD: More than 150 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the ceasefire agreement took effect on January 19, 2025, including 40 in the past two weeks, the Gaza Media Office announced.
“We have observed the occupation deliberately escalating its field crimes against civilians in recent weeks, targeting individuals collecting firewood or inspecting their homes, resulting in their deaths by Israeli army fire,” the office said in a statement.
The remarks came after an Israeli airstrike on Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, which killed nine Palestinians, including journalists and humanitarian aid workers, according to TRT World.
Condemning the attack as a “heinous massacre”, the Gaza Media Office accused Israel of escalating its aggression amid reports of increased military directives from Israeli leadership.
Halting fuel supply
The municipality of Rafah in southern Gaza has announced it can no longer supply fuel to private and agricultural water wells due to a severe fuel shortage.
This crisis has lasted for two weeks, caused by Israel’s closure of border crossings, which has blocked the entry of humanitarian aid, relief supplies, and goods.
In a press release, Rafah’s mayor, Ahmed Al-Sufi, stated that the municipality had been providing fuel to operate 80 private and agricultural wells, in addition to the main wells.
“This was essential to ensuring water access for neighbourhoods where Palestinians have returned, given the deteriorating humanitarian conditions,” he explained.
With fuel supplies dwindling, the municipality has been forced to reduce services and halt essential operations, putting thousands of lives at risk and worsening the health and environmental crisis.
Recovering dead bodies
Moreover, Palestinian Civil Defence teams have recovered 61 bodies from the Shifa Hospital mass grave in Gaza.
Authorities estimate that around 160 bodies were buried in the hospital’s yard during the war, with several more days needed to complete the recovery process, according to Anadolu news agency.
Besides this, the Palestinian Scholars Association condemned the escalating Israeli violations against Palestinian worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan.
In a statement, the association said: “We are following with great anger and sorrow the escalating oppressive measures taken by the Israeli occupation against” the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“The pace of systematic provocations and targeting by settlers against Al-Aqsa Mosque, its worshipers, and those observing prayer has been increasing on a daily and noticeable basis,” it added.
Israel’s Al-Aqsa violations
The association explained that Israel is preventing worshipers from “praying inside Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan while opening the mosque to settlers to perform their Talmudic rituals in its courtyards.”
Regarding the ceasefire, Hamas said that “the ball is in Israel’s court” after offering to release an Israeli-US hostage and return the bodies of four others as part of Gaza truce talks.
Following the offer on Friday, Israel said the Palestinian fighters had “not budged a millimetre” after a proposal from US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy.
The first phase of the truce, which began in January, ended on March 1 without agreement on next steps. A Hamas official said negotiations began in Doha on Tuesday.
“The ball is in Israel’s court,” a Hamas spokesman said.
“We want to solidify the ceasefire agreement and force (Israel) to implement its terms,” Abdul Latif al-Qanou said, accusing Israel of “delaying” its enforcement.
