At least 80 people, including children and women, have been killed in a series of fresh Israeli air strikes across Gaza, with the Jabalia refugee camp bearing the brunt of the bombardment, according to local hospitals and emergency responders.
The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza reported that 50 bodies were recovered from destroyed homes in Jabalia, among them 22 children and 15 women. The nearby al-Awda Hospital confirmed receiving the bodies of nine more victims, seven of whom were children.
Residents described scenes of devastation, with buildings flattened and families wiped out. “We came running and saw body parts everywhere—children, women, even a baby just two months old,” said Hadi Moqbel, who lost several relatives in the strikes.
The Israeli military claimed it was targeting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) operatives in response to recent rocket launches into Israel. It said “numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians” and issued evacuation orders for Jabalia and nearby zones prior to the strikes.
However, the strikes hit densely populated civilian areas and shelter sites. Footage from the Indonesian Hospital showed bodies wrapped in blankets lining the floor, and aid groups say hospitals are struggling to treat the wounded amid severe shortages of fuel and medical supplies.
The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said 59 of the 80 reported deaths occurred in northern Gaza alone.
International pressure on Israel is mounting. At a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher accused Israel of “deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians” and warned of the risk of genocide.
He also condemned a proposed Israeli-US humanitarian aid distribution plan using private contractors, calling it a “fig leaf” for more displacement.
Israel’s UN envoy, Danny Danon, rejected the allegations as “baseless and outrageous,” maintaining that existing aid systems were being abused to support Hamas.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high as the Israeli military expands its evacuation orders, now including six sections of the northern Rimal district in Gaza City.
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These include al-Shifa hospital and school complexes reportedly used by Hamas, according to Israeli intelligence. These sites are currently housing thousands of displaced civilians.
The al-Shifa facility, once Gaza’s largest hospital, was severely damaged in a raid last year and now operates only partially. Its inclusion in new strike zones has further alarmed aid workers.
On Tuesday, a separate Israeli airstrike on the European Hospital compound in Khan Younis killed at least 28 people. The military claimed it targeted a command centre housing Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar.
Since the Israeli offensive resumed on March 18 following a ceasefire breakdown, over 2,799 Palestinians have died, bringing the total death toll in Gaza to at least 52,928, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The humanitarian situation has reached a critical point, with 70% of Gaza declared either evacuation zones or Israeli “no-go” areas. UN-backed reports indicate the entire population is facing high levels of food insecurity, with half a million people at risk of starvation.
The crisis unfolds amid renewed diplomatic efforts. Hamas recently released the last living Israeli-American hostage, Edan Alexander, in a move seen as a gesture toward U.S. President Donald Trump, currently visiting the Middle East. Talks involving Qatari, Egyptian, and American envoys are ongoing in Doha.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, remains adamant about continuing the military campaign, declaring there will be “no situation where we stop the war,” though he hinted at the possibility of temporary ceasefires.
More than 65 former hostages have signed a letter urging the Israeli government to resume negotiations and secure the release of all captives.
BBC
