GAZA CITY: The situation in Gaza has escalated to unprecedented levels of devastation as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 704 Palestinian civilians during the last 24 hours, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
Medical facilities and humanitarian aid centers across the territory have been forced to shut down due to extensive bombing damage and a severe shortage of electricity, leaving the already vulnerable population in a perilous state.
The mounting death toll from Israel’s relentless bombardment, the highest in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, raises concerns of an even greater humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Israeli forces are expected to launch a ground offensive into the territory, further exacerbating the crisis.
Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been trapped amid escalating Israeli bombardment, running out of essential supplies such as food, water, and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory. Israeli authorities have launched 400 airstrikes in the past 24 hours alone, following 320 strikes reported the previous day. Witnesses and health officials have reported that most of these airstrikes targeted residential and commercial buildings, including areas in southern Gaza where civilians were instructed to seek shelter.
Brutal Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza
In one tragic incident, an overnight airstrike hit a four-story residential building in the southern city of Khan Younis, resulting in the death of at least 32 innocent Palestinian civilians and injuring scores of others, including individuals who had sought refuge from Gaza City, where civilians were urged to evacuate.
Another airstrike struck a bustling marketplace in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing several shoppers and injuring dozens, as reported by witnesses.
The dire situation has led to the closure of 40 medical centers, and hospitals are struggling to operate due to intense Israeli bombardment. The private Indonesian Hospital, the largest in northern Gaza, has been forced to shut down, operating only vital departments like the intensive care unit. Beit Hanoun Hospital, the only other facility serving patients in north Gaza, has also halted operations due to the ongoing Israeli onslaught.
Power outages and the lack of essential supplies have impacted bakeries across the Gaza Strip, leading to long queues outside the few operational stores. The overcrowded and unsanitary conditions in temporary shelters have resulted in the spread of diseases, with patients arriving at hospitals with signs of illnesses caused by the cramped living conditions.
