Israeli airstrikes killed at least 43 Palestinians, including children and displaced families, in attacks across the Gaza Strip on Monday, according to local health authorities and international aid agencies. The latest escalation comes as the humanitarian crisis deepens, with aid groups warning that the region is approaching famine and civilian casualties continue to rise.
Widespread Airstrikes Hit Displaced Populations
Multiple strikes hit makeshift shelters and residential neighborhoods where thousands of families have sought refuge from ongoing ground fighting. Gaza’s Health Ministry confirmed that many of the victims were children and women, with rescue workers struggling to reach survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings. “Most of those killed today were already displaced, forced from their homes by previous bombardments,” said a spokesperson for Médecins Sans Frontières.
The strikes occurred across central and southern Gaza, areas where Israeli officials had previously advised civilians to relocate for safety. “There is nowhere safe left in Gaza,” said one local resident in Khan Younis, who asked not to be named for security reasons. “Every neighborhood has become a target.”
Humanitarian Emergency Worsens
Aid groups and UN officials report a rapidly deteriorating situation. Essential supplies, including food, clean water, and medicine, remain cut off due to Israel’s blockade, which has tightened in recent weeks. UNICEF estimates that thousands of children are now suffering from severe malnutrition, and hospitals are forced to ration dwindling stocks of painkillers and antibiotics.
“We are facing the total collapse of health services and the threat of famine,” said a UN field officer in Rafah. Humanitarian convoys remain stuck outside the enclave, unable to enter due to ongoing hostilities and restrictions at border crossings.
Israeli Military Statement and International Response
The Israeli military said its latest operations targeted what it described as “Hamas infrastructure embedded within civilian areas.” In a statement, the army acknowledged strikes in central and southern Gaza but did not directly address reports of civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, international response has been swift but largely rhetorical. European Union officials condemned the strikes and renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire and the safe passage of humanitarian aid. The United States, while reiterating Israel’s right to self-defense, expressed “deep concern” over the rising civilian death toll.
Displaced Families Trapped
Among those killed were several families who had taken shelter in a UN-run school in Deir al-Balah, according to witnesses and UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff. “The school had become a last resort for hundreds of people who fled their homes earlier this month,” said a UNRWA coordinator by phone. “Now we are counting the dead among the displaced.”
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as rescue workers searched through rubble for survivors. “There were screams everywhere. We pulled children from under the debris, many of them dead or badly wounded,” said Ahmed al-Sheikh, a local medic.
Ceasefire Talks Falter
Efforts to broker a ceasefire have shown little progress. Hamas officials have proposed a temporary truce and an exchange of prisoners, but Israeli leaders insist that hostilities will not end until all hostages are released and Hamas disarms—a demand Hamas rejects.
Mediators from Qatar and Egypt continue shuttle diplomacy, but sources close to the talks say both sides remain far apart.
A Region in Crisis
As the death toll climbs, Gaza’s population faces growing desperation. “People are dying not just from bombs, but from hunger and disease,” said Dr. Youssef al-Masri, a surgeon at one of Gaza’s last operational hospitals. “We need food, water, medicine—and above all, we need the airstrikes to stop.”
International aid agencies continue to urge all parties to protect civilians and allow humanitarian access. As yet, those appeals have not led to changes on the ground.
