Israeli airstrikes have pounded Gaza City for three consecutive days, particularly in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods, according to the Hamas-run civil defense agency. The strikes have leveled homes and left residents unable to retrieve the dead or injured due to ongoing shelling.
Witnesses describe the attacks as among the most intense since the war began, with tanks firing at residential buildings and multiple missile strikes hitting roads. Israel’s military says it is in the “early stage of a new state of combat” as it prepares to capture Gaza City.
Nations Warn of Famine, Urge Israel to Allow Unhindered Humanitarian Aid Access
International alarm is growing over the humanitarian situation. The UK, EU, Australia, Canada, and Japan issued a joint statement warning that famine is “unfolding in front of our eyes” and calling for permanent measures to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
They demanded an end to deadly force near aid convoys, where more than 1,300 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, mostly by Israeli troops. Israel disputes the famine claims, accusing UN agencies of failing to collect aid at the border.
The World Health Organization has urgently appealed to Israel for permission to stock hospitals in Gaza with essential medicines and equipment. WHO representative Rik Peeperkorn said promised increases in aid deliveries are either not happening or occurring far too slowly.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has outlined a plan to improve aid distribution through safe corridors, expanded air drops, and partnerships with other countries, though residents say the relentless bombardment has made even local relief efforts impossible.
UN Accuses Israel of Genocide as Journalist Killings Intensify Global Outrage Over Gaza
UN experts and the group of former world leaders known as “The Elders” have described the crisis as an “unfolding genocide,” accusing Israel of intentionally causing famine and destroying Palestinian society in Gaza.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Irish President Mary Robinson made the charge after visiting the Gaza border. Israeli rights group B’Tselem has issued similar findings. Israel rejects these allegations, stating its operations target Hamas militants and blaming the group for Gaza’s humanitarian collapse.
Media freedom concerns escalated after the Israeli military killed four Al Jazeera journalists and two freelancers in a targeted strike on a media tent. Israel claimed one journalist was a Hamas commander but offered little evidence, prompting widespread condemnation.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed over 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostage. Since then, Israeli operations have killed at least 61,599 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry figures, which the UN considers credible.
