According to health officials, one strike claimed the lives of 10 people, including well-known writer and photographer Fatima Hassouna. She had documented her community’s hardships in Gaza City throughout the war.
Another strike in northern Gaza killed three more individuals, they added.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
In the southern city of Rafah, under Israeli control in recent days, residents said the Israeli army continued to raze homes. Israeli leaders have described the expansion of “security zones” in Gaza as an effort to pressure Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages.
“Gaza has been turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance," said MSF emergency coordinator Amanda Bazerolle.
She added: “We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza. With nowhere safe for Palestinians or those trying to help them, the humanitarian response is severely struggling under the weight of insecurity and critical supply shortages, leaving people with few, if any, options for accessing care.”
Efforts to revive ceasefire stall
Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States have failed to restore the now-defunct Gaza ceasefire or secure the release of Israeli hostages, with Israel and Hamas remaining at odds.
Hamas says it aims to move into the second phase of a January ceasefire agreement, which would entail an Israeli withdrawal and an end to the war, triggered on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants stormed Israel.
Israel says the war can end only when Hamas is defeated.
Essential supplies blocked
The Gaza health ministry, overseen by Hamas, said Israel’s cessation of fuel, medical supplies and food deliveries since early March has hindered the few functioning hospitals.
“Hundreds of patients and wounded individuals are deprived of essential medications, and their suffering is worsening due to the closure of border crossings,” the ministry said.
Israel maintains that these measures are intended to increase pressure on Hamas, while the militant group condemns them as “collective punishment.”
Israeli forces have reportedly killed over 1,600 Palestinians since renewing their military campaign in March, according to Gaza health officials.
The offensive has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and blocked all supplies from entering the enclave.
Meanwhile, 59 Israeli hostages remain in captivity. Israel believes 24 are still alive.
The recent flare-up in the decades-long conflict began after Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking 251 hostages into Gaza, according to Israeli counts.
Gaza’s health ministry says at least 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s subsequent offensive.
(jh/gs)
Source: AFP, Reuters, Médecins Sans Frontières