Israeli Air Strikes Result in Rising Palestinian Casualties Amid Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

Israeli air strikes have reportedly killed at least 35 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources cited by Al Jazeera. Among the casualties, 13 individuals were killed in Gaza City, with nine fatalities occurring during an air attack on the United Nations-run Shati refugee camp. Reports indicate that Israeli warplanes have also targeted residential areas in the Sabra neighborhood of southern Gaza City, exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis. As the violence escalates, hospitals in Gaza are sounding alarms over a critical fuel shortage that threatens the lives of children, including infants. Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary reported that the World Health Organization has a convoy of fuel and medical supplies waiting at a checkpoint, pending approval from Israeli forces to proceed into northern Gaza. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has indicated that at least 33 health facilities have been rendered inoperable since the conflict intensified on October 7. In Deir el-Balah, Khalil al-Degran, spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, highlighted the dire situation, noting severe shortages of medical supplies due to the closure of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt for over 200 days. He accused Israeli forces of targeting civilian areas, claiming a deliberate intent to commit "genocide and ethnic cleansing" against the Palestinian population. On the military front, Israeli spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed an expansion of ground operations in Khan Younis and the outskirts of Deir el-Balah, releasing footage of a tunnel demolition. Reports indicate that at least six Palestinians were killed and 15 injured in the latest strikes in western Khan Younis, further intensifying the conflict's toll on civilians.