Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip continues, leaving 1,610 dead, wounded
SANAA, Mat. 20 (YPA) – The Israeli occupation forces continued their aggression on the Gaza Strip on Thursday, committing numerous massacres against civilians, resulting in more than 1,610 deaths and injuries, the majority of whom were children and women.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza ended on March 2, after lasting for 42 days. It included a prisoner exchange deal and a limited withdrawal of the occupation army, followed by the return of displaced persons to their destroyed homes.
However, the occupation forces evaded entering into the second phase of the agreement, which was scheduled to last for another 42 days, followed by a permanent ceasefire.
Entire families wiped out
According to medical sources, more than 95 civilians were killed, and dozens remain missing under the rubble, as a result of Israeli airstrikes on several homes across the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian media reported the arrival of 34 martyrs to the Gaza European Hospital and five martyrs to Nasser Hospital, following airstrikes targeting civilian homes in Khan Yunis and Rafah.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Hospital received 50 martyrs as a result of Israeli bombing targeting homes and camps for displaced persons in northern Gaza, wiping out entire families and resulting in their removal from the Palestinian civil registry.
Targeting civilians in Beit Lahia
The Israeli occupation forces announced this morning that they had launched a ground incursion along the coastal axis in the Beit Lahia area, north of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian media reported that the occupation forces bombed the home of the Batrawi family in Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Yunis, killing five family members, including a husband and wife and three children.
This comes one day after the Israeli Air Force committed a heinous massacre by targeting a funeral home, killing 24 people.
Israeli warplanes also launched sporadic raids on Rafah, targeting the home of the Abu Halim family in Beit Lahia, north of Gaza, resulting in a number of injuries.
An Israeli helicopter bombed a tent housing displaced persons in the al-Zahour neighborhood, north of Rafah, resulting in civilian casualties. The Israeli airstrike also targeted the home of the al-Daour family in Beit Lahia, resulting in deaths and injuries.
At the same time, Israeli aircraft launched heavy airstrikes on agricultural land northwest of Beit Lahia, coinciding with intense artillery shelling.
Additional victims
At least 10 civilians were killed when the Jaber family home was bombed in the Musbah area, north of Rafah. Two martyrs were pulled from the rubble of the Al-Amour family home, which was bombed in the town of Al-Fakhari, east of Khan Yunis. Twelve civilians were also killed when the occupation forces bombed the Abu Daqqa family home in the town of Al-Fakhari.
Meanwhile, warplanes targeted the vicinity of a food aid distribution warehouse and a prayer hall in the Ma’an area, east of Khan Yunis.
The victims’ toll escalated
Since the occupation resumed its aggression on the Gaza Strip at dawn on Tuesday, March 18, the death toll has risen to approximately 710 citizens, in addition to hundreds of wounded, most of them women and children.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that 710 Palestinians have been killed and more than 900 others wounded since Tuesday, as a result of the occupation’s continued war of genocide and ethnic cleansing, backed by the United States.
Ministry spokesman Khalil al-Daqran said, “Hospitals have received 710 martyrs and more than 900 wounded since Tuesday, as a result of the violent Israeli bombardment of Gaza.”
He added that 70% of the wounded are women and children, noting that most of them suffer from serious injuries, amid a severe shortage of medicines and medical equipment due to the Israeli blockade imposed on the Strip.
A catastrophic situation requires international intervention
As the Israeli aggression continues, the suffering of the people of the Gaza Strip increases. The health sector is suffering from a near-total collapse due to a shortage of medicines and medical supplies, in addition to the targeting of medical and relief facilities.
In light of these tragic conditions, international calls are growing to halt the aggression and open urgent humanitarian corridors to rescue innocent civilians.
The Israeli occupation forces continue to escalate their aggression against the Gaza Strip, resulting in more deaths and injuries daily, amid dire humanitarian conditions that threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
As the massacres and violations continue, there remains an urgent need for immediate international action to halt this aggression and end the suffering of civilians in the Strip.
YPA