Gaza Watch: 32 Dead in 24 hours, After Israeli Airstrikes Target al-Mawasi Shelter in Gaza

By Legal Wires 7 Minutes Read

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine continues to result in devastating casualties and widespread destruction, with no clear end in sight. Israeli forces are intensifying their strikes on Gaza, targeting both civilian and military areas, leading to mass casualties and the destruction of critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, Hamas continues to retaliate, further fueling the conflict.

In the last 24 hours, over 32 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, while 1,139 Israelis have lost their lives since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. International voices, including from the United States and United Kingdom, have expressed concerns over the escalating violence and the rising civilian death toll, calling for restraint and an immediate ceasefire. However, the situation remains dire, with both sides continuing to suffer heavy losses.

Palestinian Casualties and Destruction in Gaza:

• Israeli forces killed a man and a woman in the northern occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Health.
• In the latest 24-hour reporting period, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that 32 Palestinians were killed and 100 wounded.
• Israel has also struck a tented encampment near Khan Younis, with 19 bodies recovered according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. More people are feared dead as rescue workers are unable to reach many victims.
• Israel’s military claims to have targeted a Hamas command centre, but Hamas has called this a “clear lie.”

Death Toll and Injuries in Gaza:

• At least 41,020 Palestinians have been killed, and 94,925 injured in Israel’s war on Gaza.
• Since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, at least 1,139 Israelis have been killed, and more than 200 people have been taken captive.

Attack on Designated Safe Zone in Gaza:

• Israeli forces launched an attack on a designated “safe zone” in southern Gaza, resulting in at least 19 deaths and numerous injuries, according to officials.
• Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that the bodies of the victims were taken to hospitals following a missile attack on a tent camp in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, where Palestinians were sheltering.
• Rescue efforts have been hampered, with many victims still trapped under the rubble. The Palestinian Civil Defence reported that 40 people were killed, and over 60 injured in the attack, with many others missing.

Conflicting Reports on the Strike:

• Israel’s military disputed the Palestinian figures, claiming the attack targeted a Hamas command centre. However, Hamas called this assertion a “blatant lie.”
• Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that “a number of victims are still under the rubble, under the sand, and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defence crews cannot reach them.”
• Rescuers have been seen using garden tools and bare hands by the light of mobile phones to sift through the rubble, recovering body parts, including a human leg.

Impact of Israel’s War on Gaza:

• Israel’s war on Gaza has displaced approximately 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, with civilians being forced to move multiple times as Israeli strikes hit areas where safety had been previously assured.
• Aid groups are struggling to provide basic services, and the situation in Gaza has worsened as attacks continue to target areas designated as safe.
• The Israeli military confirmed that a strike in Lebanon’s Western Bekaa killed a special unit “terrorist” of Hezbollah, identified as Muhammad Qassem al-Shaer.

International Reactions:

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the killing of American-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who died in the occupied West Bank last week. Blinken called the killing “unprovoked and unjustified.”
• UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed shock over the deaths from the missile strike in Gaza’s al-Mawasi humanitarian zone, calling the incident “shocking.”
• Blinken reiterated the need for efforts to prevent escalation in the Middle East and has called for an immediate ceasefire agreement.

Evacuation Orders and Humanitarian Crisis:

• Israel’s evacuation orders have pushed hundreds of thousands of people into al-Mawasi, a region now struggling to meet the basic humanitarian needs of displaced civilians.
• Aid groups are struggling to provide services amid continued hostilities, further compounding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Source: Al Jazeera

Legal Wires

Team @LegalWires