The Gaza Strip is suffering from an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe due to the Israeli war of extermination, which systematically targets civilians and infrastructure.
24 civilians, most of them children and women, were killed when the Israeli occupation bombed a family home in the Nuseirat camp, while rescue teams continued to retrieve the bodies from under the rubble. The Israeli bombing continued in other areas, leading to more victims, including children and women who were killed due to the deliberate and direct bombing.
Hospitals and ambulances were also directly attacked. On Saturday, cameras documented opening heavy gunfire on an ambulance in front of a hospital in the northern Gaza Strip.
These repeated attacks led to an almost complete paralysis of the ambulance system, as most vehicles were out of service due to direct targeting and severe fuel shortages.
The occupation forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, where they forced the medical staff, including the only surgical team, to evacuate the hospital at gunpoint.
The night before, about 30 civilians in the town of Beit Lahia were killed as a result of intensive shelling of populated homes.
In different parts of the Gaza Strip, the demolition of residential homes continued, as dozens of buildings were targeted in Beit Lahia and Jabalia in the north and the Al-Janina neighbourhood in the east of Rafah. Civilians were targeted and killed each time, and those who survived were displaced amid tragic circumstances.
The shelling targeted populated areas, including the vicinity of schools and refugee camps, including a school in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood, which led to the killing of several people, including children who were searching for safe shelter.
Humanitarian suffering
The humanitarian situation is worsening day after day, as the number of dead and injured increases and basic services deteriorates. The number of dead and wounded is more than 150,000 since the start of the war of extermination on October 7, 2023, while reports indicate that more than 11,000 people are missing under the rubble.
The severe shortage of food and fuel has led to the spread of famine, with dozens of children and elderly people dying from malnutrition.
The suffering of the population is increasing as water and electricity lines are targeted, threatening the lives of millions and making life in the Strip almost impossible.
Despite widespread international condemnation, including from UN officials who described what is happening as “colonial ethnic cleansing” and “war crimes,” these voices have not translated into effective measures to stop the violations or hold those responsible accountable.
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, said that “what is happening in Gaza cannot be considered just a war, but rather a comprehensive destruction and a flagrant violation of all humanitarian norms.”
These crimes and violations place the international community before a moral, humanitarian and legal responsibility to intervene and stop the war machine that continues to claim lives and destroy life in Gaza.
Continued silence or mere condemnations will only exacerbate the catastrophe and increase the suffering of the besieged civilians.
Gaza is crying out for help, and its children, women and elderly are paying the price for the world’s inaction. It is time to move beyond political interests and work hard to protect the Palestinian people and stop the ongoing bloodshed.
