Intensified Israeli attacks on Gaza claim lives, deepen crisis in war-torn enclave
Palestinian children wounded in an Israeli strike are assisted at a hospital in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip January 3, 2025 [Saeed Mohammed/ Reuters]
Israeli forces have escalated their offensive on Gaza, killing at least 22 Palestinians since dawn.
Among the latest casualties were six victims of an overnight bombing in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, reported Wafa news agency. Tragically, the deceased included the head of the nursing department at al-Awda Hospital, with at least seven others injured in the attack.
In related incidents, four Palestinians were killed in Rafah, three in the Bureij refugee camp, and seven at a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City, highlighting the widespread devastation.
Simultaneously, the humanitarian crisis deepens as Israeli authorities continue to block critical aid missions. Stephane Dujarric, UN spokesman, revealed that attempts to evacuate patients and deliver essential supplies to al-Awda and Indonesian hospitals in North Gaza were denied.
“The missions were meant to evacuate patients and deliver food, water, fuel, hygiene kits, and cleaning supplies, which are critical to hospitals,” Dujarric stated. Access to al-Awda Hospital, the last partially functioning hospital in North Gaza, remains severely restricted, leaving it grappling with acute shortages of fuel and medical supplies.
The siege in North Gaza, ongoing for over 100 days, has exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe. According to Palestinian authorities, the offensive has resulted in more than 5,000 individuals killed or missing.
