The health ministry in Gaza reports that Israeli airstrikes have killed 436 Palestinians in the past 24 hours. Israel has killed over 5,000 people, mainly women and children, since the commencement of its bombardment of Gaza on 7 October, and decimated entire neighbourhoods.
In an effort to intensify its attacks, Israel has also initiated limited ground raids in Gaza.
Meanwhile, a second aid convoy, consisting of 14 trucks, entered the besieged Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt. The aid shipment included vital supplies such as water, food, and medical resources. However, Israel has blocked the entry of fuel into the enclave that remains under the Israeli military blockade since 2007.
About 2.3 million people in Gaza are trapped and face critical shortages of food and clean water. A third aid convoy is expected to arrive soon.
However, the United Nations warns that the current aid levels, which only account for 4% of the daily average required, fall short of the essential supplies needed. Medicines and fuel deplete rapidly. The healthcare system in Gaza is on the brink of collapse.
EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has called for faster aid deliveries to Gaza and discussed the possibility of a humanitarian pause to facilitate the delivery of aid and alleviate the suffering of civilians.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, located in the heart of central Gaza, struggles to cope with the volume of casualties it receives. An acute shortage of materials to cover the deceased has led to a distressing sight. Bodies of people killed in Israeli attacks are stacked in the hospital’s courtyard, usually reserved for prayers.
Doctors race to complete procedures for one patient after another.
Bodies often arrive dismembered and disfigured, making the process of identification difficult.
Amid the ongoing Israeli airstrikes, two US-Israeli citizens, Judith and Natalie Raanan, have been released, providing hope to foreign and dual nationals. Hamas offered to free two Israeli citizens for humanitarian reasons, but the Israeli government declined, according to reports.
