The civil defense agency in Gaza reported that 22 individuals, including at least six children, lost their lives due to Israeli airstrikes in the territory.
Agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal mentioned that one airstrike resulted in the deaths of ten members of the same family seeking shelter in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis, while another strike targeting the Al-Shati camp near Gaza city left ten dead and over 30 injured.
He added that the victims in Al-Shati were from two families.
When asked for a response, the Israeli military stated it was “investigating the reports”.
“The bodies and remains of the martyrs were scattered,” Bassal said.
After the Al-Shati attack, 36-year-old Abeer al-Sharbasi remarked, “You can’t predict when or why they’ll strike you. We have nothing left but to surrender ourselves to God.”
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The bombings coincided with a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump in Washington, where they discussed ongoing efforts to combat Hamas in Gaza.
After the meeting, Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s goals of securing the release of all hostages taken during the Palestinian militants’ October 7, 2023 attack, and “the elimination” of its “military and governing capabilities.”
A Palestinian girl observes the aftermath of the Israeli strike near Khan Yunis.
Israeli strikes have severely impacted the healthcare system.
At Gaza city’s Al-Shifa Hospital, grieving crowds of mourners gathered.
Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the medical complex’s director, informed journalists that the facility would be “completely out of service due to a fuel shortage” in a matter of hours.
Israel’s military actions and restrictions on supplies entering Gaza have taken a significant toll on its healthcare system.
AFP footage from Al-Mawasi showed makeshift tents devastated by the strike, with a child’s stuffed toy lying amidst the debris.
“We are extremely exhausted. Every day they announce a ceasefire, yet massacres continue,” said displaced Palestinian Umm Ahmed.
In Khan Yunis, mourners shared a final embrace with loved ones whose bodies were laid out on the floor.
Mr. Bassal later reported two additional fatalities in separate strikes in central Gaza and Gaza city.
Hospitals ‘directly affected by hostilities.’
Hisham Mhanna, from the International Committee of the Red Cross, stated that the ICRC field hospital in Rafah has been the only “fully functional” hospital in the entire Rafah area for over a year, “and has been under severe strain due to large mass casualty situations…”.
He reported that the hospital has treated more than 2,200 casualties since late May.
Of these, more than 200 were pronounced dead upon arrival during that period.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Mr. Mhanna emphasized the extent of the challenge, stating that the number of mass casualty incidents they have had to manage exceeds all prior mass casualty situations combined, experienced before the onset of the war at these [aid] distribution sites.
He noted that patients arriving at the hospital are desperate and helpless, leading them to make “serious decisions and take risky routes to secure even the bare minimum for their families, starting with food, flour, canned goods, anything they can find.”
He added that since the war erupted, particularly following the latest ceasefire and hostilities resuming on March 18, “the entire healthcare sector in Gaza has been decimated.”
We need your consent to load this rte-player content. We use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences. He highlighted that ongoing restrictions on urgent humanitarian assistance – including medical supplies, equipment, fuel, and food – have pushed the “remnants of this healthcare system further into catastrophe and under increased pressure.”
Many hospitals have been “directly impacted by hostilities, with numerous doctors, nurses, healthcare personnel, and patients losing their lives while providing or receiving care,” Mr. Mhanna stated.
“This is utterly unacceptable to us [ICRC],” he affirmed.
“The situation is chaotic, perilous… and everyone in Gaza awaits a declaration of a [ceasefire] agreement… The ICRC stands ready to facilitate the implementation of this agreement once it’s realized and agreed upon by the involved parties,” he added.
The attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, resulted in 1,219 fatalities, primarily civilians, based on an AFP tally using Israeli official figures.
Of the 251 hostages captured during the attack, 49 remain in Gaza, with the Israeli military claiming that 27 are deceased.
Israel’s retaliatory strikes have claimed at least 57,680 lives in Gaza, mainly civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry.
The United Nations considers these figures reliable.
The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) indicated that a recent mortality survey conducted among its staff and their families in Gaza confirmed the statistics provided by the health ministry.
It reported that the mortality rate for children under five has increased tenfold compared to estimates prior to October 7, 2023.
