Key Points
- Gaza death toll surges to 56,400
- Children dying from malnutrition in Gaza
- Violence in the West Bank continues
- Israel orders forceful evacuation
- Trump sees Gaza ceasefire next week
GAZA: Israeli forces killed at least 37 people in the war-hit Palestinian territory on Saturday, including at least three children who died when a house was struck, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
Among the victims were three children who lost their lives in an airstrike targeting a home in Jabalia, located in northern Gaza.
According to civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal, the children were among the people killed in six separate airstrikes carried out by drones and warplanes across the territory.
He added that two more individuals were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for food aid in the Netzarim zone of central Gaza.
In another attack, at least 11 Palestinians were killed when Israeli shelling struck a popular market in the Al-Tuffah neighbourhood east of Gaza City, according to Gaza civil defence.
Gaza death toll tops 56,400
At least 56,412 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war since October 2023, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.
A ministry statement said that 81 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 422 people were injured, bringing the number of injuries in the Israeli onslaught to 133,054.
“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads, with rescuers unable to reach them,” it added.
The Israeli army resumed its attacks on Gaza on March 18 and has since killed 6,089 people and injured 21,013 others, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.
66 Children Die from malnutrition in Gaza
At least 66 Palestinian children have died from acute malnutrition in Gaza since October 2023, according to local authorities, as the Israeli blockade continues to cause severe shortages of food, medical supplies, and infant formula.
These deaths underscore the deepening humanitarian crisis in the territory, where Israel has maintained a siege since October 7, 2023, further restricting access to aid and fuel.
The most recent fatalities include three infants who died this week due to malnutrition and the lack of essential medicines.
Egypt condemns killings of Palestinians in West Bank
Egypt has strongly condemned the killing of three Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, describing the attacks as a “flagrant violation” of international law and calling for urgent international intervention.
The condemnation follows a deadly assault in the town of Kafr Malik near Ramallah, where Israeli settlers reportedly killed three Palestinians and injured seven others, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Trump sees Gaza ceasefire next week
United States President Donald Trump said he believes a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas could be reached within a week.
Trump came out with the surprise comment while speaking to reporters on Friday, saying he was hopeful after speaking to some of the people involved in trying to get a truce, according to Al Jazeera.
Asked by reporters how close a ceasefire was between Israel and Hamas, Trump said: “We think within the next week, we’re going to get a ceasefire.”
Israel orders forceful evacuation
Israeli forces have issued new evacuation orders, directing Palestinians in several central Gaza neighborhoods to move south immediately, as the military prepares for an intensified assault in the area.
Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced that residents of Nuseirat, al-Zahraa, al-Mughraqa, and other surrounding areas must evacuate without delay to the designated “humanitarian zone” in al-Mawasi.
Mass killings
United Nations officials has said the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) system was leading to mass killings of people seeking aid, drawing accusations from Israel that the UN was “aligning itself with Hamas.”
The GHF, an aid initiative coordinated by Israeli authorities, American evangelical organisations, and private security contractors, according to various reports.
Eyewitnesses and local officials have reported repeated killings of Palestinians at distribution centres over recent weeks in the war-stricken territory, where Israeli forces are battling Hamas.
The Israeli military has denied targeting people, and GHF has denied that any deadly incidents were linked to its sites.
But following weeks of reports, UN officials and other aid providers on Friday denounced what they said was a wave of killings of hungry people seeking aid.
