Israel’s Continued Airstrikes on Gaza Kill over 70 in 24 Hours
Israeli airstrikes continued to devastate Gaza on Thursday and Friday, with reports indicating at least 71 Palestinian civilians were killed in 34 airstrikes over the past 24 hours.
The attacks, which targeted various parts of the Gaza Strip, have been described as “horrific crimes” by Gaza’s Government Media Office, while Palestinian news sources confirmed the deaths of 17 people early on Friday.
Despite the ongoing bombardment, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) continues to provide vital services to those seeking shelter and aid. However, Israel has announced plans to ban UNRWA operations starting in late January, alleging that Hamas has infiltrated the agency. UNRWA has denied these allegations, asserting that it takes extensive measures to maintain neutrality.
While the international community continues to express concern over the humanitarian situation, delegations from the UN Security Council are set to meet later today for an emergency discussion on Israeli strikes against hospitals, particularly the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. However, given the political dynamics, especially the expected veto from the United States, it is unlikely that any meaningful action will come from the meeting.
On the ground, the humanitarian situation remains dire, with Israel’s ongoing military strikes severely disrupting the delivery of aid. In the Muwasi humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, an airstrike killed at least 10 people, including three children, despite the area being a designated shelter for displaced Palestinians. As the war has caused widespread displacement, many of Gaza’s residents now live in increasingly difficult conditions, with food and medical supplies scarce and airstrikes continuing to target civilian areas.
In addition to the civilian toll, the Israeli military has claimed that it is targeting Hamas militants in these strikes. However, the high number of civilian casualties and the extensive damage to Gaza’s infrastructure raise serious concerns about the proportionality of these attacks. Human rights organizations and international observers have repeatedly called for greater protections for civilians, but the ongoing bombardment has only worsened the humanitarian crisis.
Al Jazeera, the Associated Press, and the Washington Post contributed to this report.
