Several children killed as Gaza civilians continue to bear brunt of Israeli attacks
Heavy bombardment continues across the Gaza Strip, as we continue to get reports of a series of deadly incidents since dawn today. Two children were killed following an Israeli air strike on a residential house in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, at the eastern end of Gaza City.
Further south, the city of Khan Younis has witnessed a series of deadly attacks in the past few hours. The Israeli military struck a makeshift tent in the coastal area of al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, killing at least five Palestinians, including a woman and two children.
Witnesses report that booby-trapped explosives have been used to blow up entire residential neighbourhoods, as the Israeli military says it is concentrating operations in Khan Younis to defeat Hamas battalions there.
However, civilians continue to bear the brunt of these ongoing ground operations. In Deir el-Balah, a series of explosions have been heard. Residents report a wave of panic, especially in the eastern areas, forcing some families to flee in search of safety.
Four aid seekers killed in Rafah
Israeli forces have opened fire on people waiting for aid in northern Rafah, killing at least four of them, according to local emergency workers quoted by our colleagues on the ground.
Gaza health system ‘obliterated’ as staff ‘swamped’ with mass casualties: Red Cross
Hisham M’hanna, the Gaza spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, has provided a snapshot of the massive challenges faced by healthcare workers in the besieged territory as Israeli attacks continue unabated.
“Since the resumption of hostilities on March 18, we haven’t witnessed one week without a report on an incident that happened or impacted a healthcare facility, a hospital, an ambulance team, or a doctor and nurse, including those who are on duty,” he told Al Jazeera from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.
M’hanna said medical staff are “constantly subjected” to the impact of the fighting and “swamped” by the high numbers of people killed and wounded.
“Our field hospital in Rafah, which has only a 60-bed capacity, has been receiving since last month a large influx of mass casualties,” he added. “The vast majority of them are injured with gunshot wounds. Many of them have reported that they were attempting to reach the aid distribution sites in Rafah.”
M’hanna said the situation “has not only been exhausting” the workers’ capacity but also the hospital itself. “For most of the days, the hospital is operating at nearly double its capacity, consuming its resources that are extremely limited and impacted by the restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid,” he added, noting that the field hospital is the only fully functional facility in Rafah and overall one of the best equipped in Gaza.
“That gives you a stark example of how deteriorated and obliterated the healthcare system is in Gaza.”
‘Screams of children and women were nonstop’
Two children have been killed in an Israeli air attack on their home in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood. “The house was completely destroyed,” said Abdel Rahman Azzam, 45, a member of the family. He said he first “heard a huge explosion at my relative’s house”.
“I rushed out in panic and saw the house destroyed and on fire. We evacuated more than 20 injured people, including two martyrs, two children from the family. The screams of children and women were nonstop,” Azzam said.
“They bombed the house with a missile without any prior warning. This is a horrific crime. We sleep without knowing if we will wake up.”
