According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, Israeli air strikes have tragically claimed the lives of at least 25 individuals across the territory since this morning.
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The conflict escalated significantly when Israel renewed an aggressive air and ground offensive on Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire that had momentarily paused the violence in the besieged Palestinian region. As highlighted by Mohammad Mughayyir, a senior official with the civil defense agency, “The total number of Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes since dawn today has risen to 25.”
Among the casualties, nine individuals lost their lives, and many more sustained injuries when an air strike struck a home in the heart of Khan Yunis, according to Mughayyir’s reports. In another distressing incident, an additional nine were killed in separate air strikes on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. This included a heartbreaking event where five people perished when a tent housing displaced families was hit.
Moreover, five others were killed in a strike that targeted a home belonging to the Bakr family in the Al-Shati refugee camp of Gaza City, while similar air strikes in the southern city of Rafah resulted in the deaths of two more individuals.
The devastation extended beyond loss of life; more than ten homes were destroyed in the strikes. Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the civil defense agency, reported that an air strike also wrecked bulldozers and other equipment utilized by the Jabalia municipality. The silence from the Israeli military regarding these recent strikes remains notable.
Following the collapse of the ceasefire with Hamas, the Israeli military has intensified its assault on Gaza. The civil defense agency has made grave accusations against the Israeli military, claiming they carried out “summary executions” in the killing of 15 rescue workers last month and dismissing the conclusions of an internal military investigation.
The ongoing violence has led to staggering loss of life. Since the military resumed its offensive, at least 1,864 people have died in Gaza, bringing the total death toll since the onset of the current conflict to a staggering minimum of 51,240. This tragic situation follows Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which initiated this cycle of violence and resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, the majority of whom were civilians, as per an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
“In times of loss, the ripple effect of tragedy touches countless lives,” a sentiment that resonates deeply amidst this ongoing conflict.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
