Israeli air attacks have left another trail of destruction, with strikes on UN-run schools, hospitals, and public spaces.
In the Jabalia refugee camp, the al-Fakhoora School, operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), became a focal point. A second school in Tal al-Zaatar suffered a similar fate.
Hopes of an agreement on captives between Israel and Hamas have not materialised, as confirmed by a White House spokesperson. Witnesses on the ground contradict Israeli authorities’ claims of a voluntary evacuation at al-Shifa Hospital.
The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks continues to rise, with over 12,000, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since 7 October. Those wounded in the Israeli attacks have surpassed 29,000.
Southern Gaza also faces a parallel onslaught as Israel extends its airstrikes into the region.
Recent Israeli strikes on al-Nusairat and al-Braid refugee camps killed approximately 31 Palestinians, including two journalists. Residential areas in Khan Younis have been reduced to rubble, and an attack on the European hospital claimed the lives of two Palestinians, leaving several others injured.
The Israeli Air Force also targeted Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. The Israeli military spokesperson confirmed the operation. The airstrikes destroyed the specified Hezbollah targets.
Residents in the affected areas were urged to seek shelter immediately. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported earlier on Sunday morning that rocket sirens were activated in northern Israel.
A parallel crisis unfolded in the northern Gaza Strip, where shelves stand bare, without essential items like sugar, legumes, cheese, and dairy products.
The United Nations confirms that there have been no operational bakeries in the northern Gaza Strip since 7 November. They attribute this situation to critical shortage of fuel, water, and wheat flour, worsened by structural damage. A total of 11 bakeries in the Gaza Strip have been completely destroyed. Others remain non-operational due to the scarcity of vital resources such as flour, fuel, and electricity.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released a report detailing the food scarcity crisis. Families in the Gaza Strip are now forced to skip or reduce meals, resort to unsafe methods for making fire, and adopt unconventional eating habits in order to survive.
The residents consume combinations of raw onion and uncooked eggplant.
Humanitarian agencies emphasise that the limited aid reaching the territory is merely a “drop in the ocean” compared to the pressing needs of the 2.3 million people in Gaza. The blockade hampers the delivery of essential supplies.
Some relief arrives in the form of aid convoys to the Gaza Strip. However, the Israeli authorities have imposed stricter fuel regulations. On 14 November, 91 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza from Egypt, contributing to a total of 1,187 trucks since 21 October. Despite this increase, the numbers still fall significantly short of the pre-conflict daily average of 500 trucks.
A limited amount of fuel was allowed into Gaza for the first time since 7 October on Wednesday. However, Israeli authorities specified that this fuel is exclusively designated for trucks involved in the distribution of incoming humanitarian aid to shelters, clinics, and other beneficiaries.
Stricter regulations include a specific ban on the use of imported fuel for essential operations, such as running generators at hospitals or supporting water and sanitation facilities.