GAZA CITY, Palestine: At least 44 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more wounded across Gaza on Monday as Israel intensified military operations, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
The latest attacks bring the total number of Palestinians killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign in October 2023 to 54,927, with more than 126,615 injured.
Health authorities stated that women and children continue to bear the brunt of the violence, representing the majority of casualties.
Emergency medical teams reported severe difficulties in reaching the injured due to ongoing bombardment and sniper fire targeting ambulances and civil defence personnel.
In the southern city of Rafah, 14 people were reportedly killed near aid distribution sites affiliated with a US-based entity operating under the name “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.”
The Nasser Medical Complex confirmed the casualties and said dozens more were injured in the incident.
The Government Media Office in Gaza accused the organisation of operating under the cover of humanitarian relief while advancing political and military agendas.
In a statement, the office alleged that the group is responsible for at least 130 deaths and over 1,000 injuries, adding that “organisations operating with military objectives under the guise of aid delivery cannot be considered humanitarian.”
Since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March 2025, following a two-month ceasefire, 4,649 more Palestinians have been killed and 14,574 wounded, the Ministry of Health reported.
The renewed operations shattered a truce that had allowed for limited prisoner exchanges and restricted humanitarian access.
Civil defence spokespersons say dozens of victims remain trapped beneath rubble as Israeli forces continue to obstruct rescue operations.
“Our teams are unable to access many areas due to continued shelling and sniper fire,” a spokesperson said. “Bodies are lying in the streets while we’re being shot at for trying to retrieve them.”
Human rights organisations have condemned the targeting of medical teams and infrastructure, calling the actions potential war crimes under international law.
Multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions and legally binding International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings calling for a ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access remain unheeded.
Gaza’s healthcare system is in collapse. Hospitals and clinics, many already damaged or surrounded by Israeli forces, are struggling to function amid critical shortages of medicine, fuel, and essential medical supplies.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid vessel, Madleen, carrying 12 international activists and humanitarian supplies.
The boat was escorted to Israel’s Ashdod port after reportedly being stopped in international waters overnight, according to an AFP photographer on the scene.
In response, the United Kingdom urged Israel to handle the situation “safely and with restraint,” in line with international humanitarian law.
During a briefing at Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson said the humanitarian situation in Gaza was “appalling and intolerable” and emphasised the UK’s call for greater aid access.
“We have made it very clear we must get more aid into Gaza. The unimpeded entry of assistance at scale to meet the enormous needs in Gaza is critical,” the spokesperson added.
