Gaza Civil Defence Reports 40 Killed in Israeli Air Strikes

Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have intensified, with the Gaza Civil Defence agency reporting that 40 people were killed in attacks across the region on Wednesday. Among the victims were 22 individuals who were killed in three airstrikes targeting a warehouse sheltering displaced people near the Firas market in Gaza City. The attacks also resulted in the deaths of eight people near an aid distribution centre in Khan Yunis, in the southern part of the Strip, and 11 others at Al-Awda Hospital following a strike near the Nuseirat refugee camp.

The Israeli military confirmed that it had struck two Hamas militants in the north, but it did not provide any details about the attacks in the south. This lack of transparency has only deepened the concerns of humanitarian organizations and local witnesses, who have described the aftermath of the strikes as a 'pitiful sight'—with dismembered bodies and grieving families among the rubble.

AFP footage captured the harrowing scenes of Palestinians combing through the wreckage, with children and women among the casualties. According to the civil defence agency, hundreds of families have been forced to sleep on the ground for days after fleeing northern Gaza, due to a lack of transportation, money, and adequate shelter. Many have been directed to evacuate to the so-called 'humanitarian area' of Al-Mawasi, which Israel has declared a safe zone, despite conducting repeated strikes on the area.

The United Nations has accused Israel of committing 'genocide' in Gaza, a claim that Israel has categorically denied. Over the course of nearly two years of Israeli military operations, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reports that at least 65,419 Palestinians have been killed, with the vast majority being civilians. Meanwhile, Israeli figures indicate that Hamas’ initial attack in the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, again mostly civilians.

As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deepen, the international community faces mounting pressure to address the escalating violence and the dire living conditions faced by the Palestinian population. The lack of accountability and transparency from the Israeli military has only exacerbated the suffering of those already caught in the crossfire.