The Israeli military has escalated its attacks on Gaza City, resulting in at least 61 fatalities, including 19 aid seekers, since dawn on Thursday.
The intensified bombardment has prompted residents to flee their homes, with many heading towards the coast. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the campaign, stating it “signals a new and dangerous phase” in the war.
Guterres emphasized that expanded military operations in Gaza City would have devastating consequences, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee and pushing families into deeper peril.
“This must stop,” he said, adding that the catastrophe in the enclave was “the result of deliberate decisions that defy basic humanity”.
The Israeli military has been preparing to take Gaza City, despite international calls to reconsider the move over fears of significant casualties and displacement of the roughly one million Palestinians sheltering there.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that those killed across Gaza on Thursday included a woman and her child sheltering in a tent camp for displaced people in Khan Younis.
UN rights experts have expressed alarm at reports of “enforced disappearances” of starving Palestinians seeking food at distribution sites run by the US- and Israeli-backed Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF).
The experts urged Israel to end the “heinous crime”, stating that “reports of enforced disappearances targeting starving civilians seeking their basic right to food is not only shocking, but amounts to torture”. In response, the GHF said it had found no evidence of “enforced disappearances” at its aid sites.
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported four more deaths from malnutrition and starvation, including two children, raising hunger-related deaths to 317 people, including 121 children, since the war started.
Tareq Abu Azzoum described the scene on the ground as “heartbreaking”, with families lining up for hours in front of soup kitchens, often returning empty-handed.
The conflict began after Hamas’s October 2023 attacks on Israel, which killed 1,139 people, with another 251 taken captive.
Most captives have been released through diplomatic negotiations, although 50 remain in Gaza, of whom 20 are said to be alive. Over 62,900 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza, according to local health officials.
The United Nations has expressed deep concern over the escalating conflict in Gaza, warning of a “new and dangerous phase” in the crisis.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation as “the cruellest phase” of the conflict, with Palestinians facing extreme hardship, widespread starvation, and denial of basic necessities.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with over 23,000 people killed and more than 58,000 injured since October 7.
The UN agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF, have warned that time is running out to mount a full-scale humanitarian response.
They have called for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, as well as safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to deliver life-saving aid to families in need.
More than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution, and preventable deaths.
The UN’s humanitarian aid chief, Joyce Msuya, has condemned the “daily cruelty” in Gaza, describing the situation as reminiscent of the gravest international crimes.
She emphasized that the Israeli campaign has intensified, with atrocious levels of death and destruction, while access for humanitarian groups remains dangerous and erratic.
The UN chief has urged immediate action to halt the violence, restore aid, and advance a two-state solution.
The situation on the ground is catastrophic, with hospitals at near-total collapse, and staff overwhelmed by the injured.
The risk of famine has become a grim reality, with 1.1 million people, half of Gaza’s population, expected to face catastrophic food insecurity conditions.
The international community has called for an urgent and permanent ceasefire, increased humanitarian aid, and protection of civilians.
Its like you read my mind You appear to know so much about this like you wrote the book in it or something I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit but other than that this is fantastic blog A great read Ill certainly be back
Very many thanks for the review. We appreciate your honest appraisal.