Key Points
- Israeli army escalates air strikes in Gaza
- Israeli forces open fire at food aid sites
- Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital targeted
- Gaza death toll rises to 56,531
- Qatar seeks resumption of Gaza ceasefire talks
- 60,000 children suffering from malnutrition
GAZA: At least 61 Palestinians were killed and several others injured in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Monday as health authorities announced the number of Palestinians killed in the war has risen above 56,000.
The Israeli army has escalated its air strikes and artillery shelling on the southern and eastern parts of Gaza City, especially in the neighbourhoods of Zeitoun, Shejaiya, and al-Tuffah, witnesses said.
According to local sources, the Israeli military carried out airstrikes on four schools sheltering displaced Palestinians, following evacuation warnings. Three of the targeted schools were located in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, while the fourth was in the al-Tuffah area, east of Gaza City.
Israeli forces open fire at food aid sites
At least 22 Palestinians were killed and 20 others wounded on Monday after Israeli forces opened fire near food aid distribution sites in southern Gaza, according to eyewitnesses, hospital officials, and Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported receiving the bodies of 11 individuals who were shot while returning from a food aid site affiliated with the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF). The incident is part of a broader pattern of violence that has resulted in over 500 aid-seekers killed in the past month.
An additional 10 people were reported killed at a UN aid warehouse in northern Gaza, the Health Ministry said. The southern shooting took place approximately three kilometres from the GHF distribution centre, as civilians travelled along one of the few remaining routes accessible for humanitarian relief.
Israel attacks Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital
The Israeli military has also targeted the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital, striking tents sheltering displaced civilians without issuing prior warning.
This is not the first time the hospital has come under attack. According to reports, Israeli forces have targeted the facility at least ten times, raising serious concerns about the safety of medical infrastructure in the conflict zone.
In the latest assault, the hospital’s administrative office was hit by three grenades dropped from Israeli quadcopter drones. The repeated strikes on healthcare facilities are placing immense strain on hospitals that are already struggling to remain operational
Gaza death toll rises to 56,531
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, the total death toll from Israeli attacks since the start of the war in October 2023 has now risen to at least 56,531, with 133,642 people injured.
Since Israel broke a truce agreed with Hamas on March 18, at least 6,203 Palestinians have been killed and more than 21,601 wounded.
Qatar seeks resumption of Gaza ceasefire talks
Qatar has said that it is seeking to resume negotiations between Israel and Hamas to reach a Gaza ceasefire.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majid al-Ansari said that Doha is working to reach a broader agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme.
“There are no talks regarding a ceasefire in Gaza,” Ansari told a press conference in Doha. “Communications are underway to reach a formula to return to negotiations,” he added.
60,000 children suffering from malnutrition
Khalil Al-Daqran, spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, told Al Jazeera that at least 60,000 children are suffering from malnutrition due to the acute shortage of food in Gaza.
He warned that Israel is systematically targeting hospitals across the Gaza Strip, severely compromising the healthcare system.
He added that the Israeli blockade amounts to a deliberate policy of starvation, particularly affecting Gaza’s children, adding that there is currently not a single carton of milk available for children in the entire Gaza Strip.
UK MPs urge Ukraine-style visa route for Gazans
Sixty-seven politicians have written to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper asking for a Gaza Family Scheme mirroring the Ukraine Family Scheme established in 2022 to help refugees escape the war with Russia. It allowed Ukrainians to live and work in the UK for up to three years.
“We believe that the same generosity should be extended to Palestinian families,” said the letter, seen by Sky News.
Signatories include 35 Labour MPs and members of the House of Lords, as well as several people currently suspended from the governing party, including its former leader Jeremy Corbyn and former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.
