In the past 24 hours, Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of at least 55 people in Gaza, including a journalist, according to a Thursday report by Al Jazeera.
The health ministry in Gaza confirmed that at least 23 individuals were killed in Israeli air raids on Bureij, a central area of Gaza. Additionally, 10 more people lost their lives while seeking humanitarian aid from a US-backed organization.
Victims were rushed to Al-Awda and Al-Aqsa hospitals. Medical teams said it took them over half an hour to recover the bodies from the strike sites.
In a statement reported by Al Jazeera, the Government Media Office accused Israeli forces of firing directly at Palestinian civilians waiting for aid at a distribution site, injuring at least 62 people.
The Gaza Journalists Syndicate separately reported that journalist Moataz Raja was killed by Israeli forces while reporting in Gaza. According to the syndicate, Raja was traveling in a civilian car on al-Nafaq Street in Gaza City when an Israeli aircraft targeted the vehicle, killing him instantly. Since October 7, 2023, at least 221 journalists have died in Gaza, the syndicate said.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, condemned Israel for “weaponizing aid” in its military campaign.
Ongoing War in Gaza
Gaza’s health ministry announced on Sunday that since the collapse of a ceasefire on March 18, the death toll in Gaza has reached at least 3,785, raising the total number of deaths since the war began to 53,939, mostly civilians, according to AFP.
Israeli operations have displaced about 90% of Gaza’s roughly 2 million residents, leading to severe hunger and widespread devastation.
Since October 2023, Israel’s military offensive has killed an estimated 61,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, according to Al Jazeera.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in the enclave.
