Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza as bombardment continues
Israeli strikes and bombardment have killed more than 60 Palestinians and wounded dozens more – most with critical injuries – in a series of attacks across the besieged enclave since dawn.
Citing medical sources, the Wafa news agency said hospitals are struggling to provide even basic care because of the severe shortage of medical supplies. The attacks mark one of the deadliest days in Gaza in recent weeks amid the deepening humanitarian catastrophe.
Here is a breakdown of attacks:
- Air strikes targeted the Shaarawi and Haddad buildings in the Tuffah neighbourhood, east of Gaza City, resulting in multiple casualties.
- Three paramedics were killed by an Israeli air strike while attempting to rescue the wounded in the al-Mahatta area of Tuffah.
- Israeli aircraft bombed tents sheltering displaced families in al-Katiba Square, also in Gaza City, causing additional deaths and injuries.
- At least one person was killed and others injured in an artillery strike on Old Gaza Street in Jabalia, in the north.
- In Bureij refugee camp, in central Gaza, heavy artillery fire critically wounded several Palestinians.
- Later, more homes were shelled in Tuffah and an air strike hit a house near al-Mahatta Mosque on Yafa Street in northeastern Gaza City.
- In central Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on civilians along Salah al-Din Street near Nuseirat refugee camp, wounding multiple people.
‘Gaza being erased’: Just 38% of hospitals functioning
Only 38 percent of Gaza’s medical centres remain operational and even those are functioning only partially, according to the UN.
Thanos Gargavanis, a trauma surgeon and emergency officer with the World Health Organization, said that “the emergency department of [Nasser Hospital] receives multiple casualties every day, and it’s a lifeline for the health system in Gaza right now”.
“Hospitals should never be militarized and they should be protected at all costs,” he added.
Meanwhile, Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson with the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that in Gaza’s north, “there are no longer any functioning hospitals”.
“Many facilities, including healthcare, are either in displacement order areas or very near them including Nasser Hospital. Gaza is being erased,” she said.
Israel blocks UN from reaching desperately needed fuel supplies in Gaza
The United Nations says Israel continues to prevent it from retrieving crucial fuel stocks from its warehouses in Gaza, and the move could bring already crippled international aid efforts to a halt.
“Fuel stocks in Gaza are critically low, putting further strain on critical services and humanitarian operations,” said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonino Guterres.
He said that, over the weekend, about 250,000 litres (66,000 gallons) of fuel were looted in northern Gaza.
“Prior to this, the UN had repeatedly attempted to reach these stocks to retrieve them, but these attempts were denied by the Israeli authorities,” he added.
Since May 15, UN missions to retrieve its fuel – desperately needed to run hospitals and salination plants for drinking water – were denied by the Israeli authorities 14 times, said Haq.
“Our attempts to reach fuel supplies in Rafah in the south of Gaza also continue to be denied. The UN warns that unless a solution is found in the coming days, the entire aid operation could come to a standstill.”
Journalist killed in Israeli strike on Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood
Earlier, we reported that at least three emergency workers were killed in an Israeli air strike on the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City. Palestinian media now report that a journalist was also killed in the attack as the rescuers attempted to save wounded victims.
