At least 30 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed early Tuesday when Israeli warplanes launched a wave of airstrikes on residential areas in the heart of the Gaza Strip. The attacks, which struck without warning, flattened homes in the overcrowded al-Nuseirat refugee camp, marking one of the deadliest nights in recent weeks, according to hospital sources and eyewitnesses.
Heavy aerial bombardments hit the “New Camp” section of al-Nuseirat in central Gaza in the early hours of July 29, reducing entire buildings to rubble. Al-Awda Hospital, located in the camp, reported that many victims arrived in pieces due to the intensity of the blasts. Hospital officials said they were overwhelmed and operating at full capacity, facing a critical shortage of medicine and essential equipment.
Medical teams worked under enormous pressure, struggling to stabilize the injured amid the chaos. One eyewitness said, “Eight members of a single family were killed when their home was struck without prior warning. The building was completely destroyed while the family was inside.”
With emergency vehicles in short supply, survivors were forced to use donkey carts to carry the dead and wounded through the narrow streets. “It was a tragic and shocking scene,” Mohammed al-Hour, a local resident, told reporters.
Regional reports say the dead include at least 14 women and 12 children. In one of the most disturbing accounts, a foetus was found after being blown from its mother’s womb during the explosion further highlighting the devastating and indiscriminate nature of the strike.
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Elsewhere in central Gaza, near the Netzarim corridor, additional Israeli air raids targeted groups of civilians gathered to receive humanitarian aid. Four Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded at one aid distribution point, deepening fears among residents already on the brink of famine.
The rising casualties contribute to a worsening death toll. Health officials in Gaza now report more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s offensive began in October 2023. The majority of the victims are women and children, according to the Health Ministry. The true figure is believed to be even higher, as continued bombardment and the ongoing siege cripple the ability of medical personnel to track fatalities accurately.
Essential infrastructure, including hospitals, roads, and humanitarian corridors, lies in ruins. Millions have been displaced, and basic necessities such as food, water, and medical care remain out of reach for much of the population.
Despite growing international outrage and calls for a ceasefire, there has been no breakthrough. Israeli officials insist that the strikes are aimed at dismantling Hamas’ military operations and blame the high civilian death toll on the group’s alleged tactic of embedding fighters among civilians a claim strongly denied by Palestinian authorities.
As dawn broke over al-Nuseirat, families combed through rubble and debris in search of missing loved ones. The scenes of devastation served as another stark reminder of the relentless human cost borne by Gaza’s civilian population as the war continues with no end in sight.
