GAZA CITY — The Israeli military escalated its brutal offensive on Gaza on Monday, unleashing a fresh wave of airstrikes that tore through already devastated neighborhoods, killing dozens of civilians, including children, and worsening what humanitarian agencies now call a full-blown siege-induced collapse.
In the early hours of the day, plumes of smoke once again rose over Rafah, Khan Younis, and central Gaza as Israeli jets targeted homes, makeshift shelters, and alleged tunnel networks. Local hospitals, already overwhelmed and running on backup generators, received a surge of casualties, many of them severely wounded children pulled from rubble-strewn streets. Civil defense units in Gaza say that rescue efforts are being hampered by fuel shortages and debris-clogged roads.
Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, once the territory’s premier medical facility, is now functioning with dwindling supplies. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that it had to turn away patients due to lack of electricity and basic medical materials. Entire departments are no longer operational.
The situation is particularly dire in the southern city of Rafah, where thousands of displaced families had sought refuge, wrongly assuming it would be spared under prior ceasefire understandings. Instead, Israeli bombardment leveled entire residential blocks, triggering mass panic and yet another round of forced internal displacement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has justified the renewed aggression under the pretext of rooting out remnants of Hamas fighters, claiming the group is using civilian structures for cover. But independent observers and aid groups have challenged these assertions, pointing to the disproportionately high civilian toll and the widespread destruction of non-military sites.
“The scale of destruction is staggering,” said a senior UN official based in East Jerusalem, speaking under condition of anonymity. “This is no longer a military operation. This is collective punishment.”
Protests erupted in several world capitals over the weekend, with demonstrators accusing Western governments, particularly the US and EU, of complicity through their continued support and arms transfers to Israel. In Istanbul, Tehran, Kuala Lumpur, and Johannesburg, thousands marched with Palestinian flags, condemning what they described as genocide under international impunity.
As the humanitarian situation unravels, Egypt has warned that the Gaza border crossings are at breaking point, with trucks of aid piling up on the Rafah side and no secure corridor for entry. The World Food Programme said food insecurity has reached catastrophic levels, with residents now depending entirely on handouts, water from contaminated wells, and sporadic airdrops.
The death toll in Gaza has now crossed 38,000, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Over 70% of the fatalities are women and children. Israel’s casualty figures remain largely unchanged, with official reports citing around 1,400 killed since October, mostly during the initial Hamas-led incursion.
Despite growing calls for a ceasefire, Israeli authorities remain defiant, showing no signs of halting their relentless assault. Pope Leo, the current head of the Catholic Church and one of the most influential Christian religious leaders, has urgently called immediate ceasfire in Gaza, condemning the Israeli attacks as “barbaric” and morally indefensible. Türkiye and South Africa have echoed similar appeals, warning that continued bombardment will only deepen the humanitarian nightmare. Yet Israel’s response has been marked by arrogant disregard, dismissing even high-level international pleas for peace.
What’s more damning is the glaring impotence of the United States. Even former President Donald Trump,typically aligned with Israeli interests, has urged a pause in the violence, only to be ignored. The Biden administration continues to supply weapons and political cover, making Washington appear more like Israel’s obedient servant than an independent superpower. Rather than de-escalate, Israeli officials are racing ahead with plans to carve out so-called “buffer zones” along Gaza’s edges, moves widely seen as permanent land grabs that will shrink Palestinian territory under the guise of security.
In a significant diplomatic signal, a senior Labour MP has said it is time for the UK to recognise the state of Palestine, echoing the demands of a growing international movement. The statement comes as some Western countries are reportedly preparing to move forward with official recognition during an upcoming international conference, further isolating Israel’s intransigent position.
According to The Guardian, “Israel’s warplanes struck multiple targets across Gaza on Monday, as talks around a possible truce stalled yet again. Displaced civilians are now sheltering in schools, hospitals, and even cemeteries, anywhere they feel less exposed to the bombs.”
