An Israeli strike destroyed a residential tower in Rafah. The Rafah tower, which housed 300 residents, received a 30-minute warning to evacuate the building at night. Chaos ensued during the evacuation, with people running downstairs and some falling. A pregnant woman was among those who tripped down the stairs during the evacuation.
At least 13 women and children were killed in Israeli attacks on Nuseirat refugee camp. The ongoing strike also killed a family of five, injuring nine in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military has yet to comment on the attacks that targeted civilians.
Meanwhile, reports say an infant and a young woman succumbed to malnutrition, bringing the known death toll from starvation to 25.
As the humanitarian situations worsens in Gaza, Canada and Sweden have decided to restore funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. The decision follows the organisation’s accusation that Israel forced some of its staff to make false statements about their alleged involvement with Hamas.
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has issued a plea to Israel’s allies, urging them to intervene and “stop this heinous war on Gaza,” especially as the region approaches Ramadan. In the face of international calls for a ceasefire, including from the US, and concerns over high civilian casualties, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue with the planned attack on Rafah.
Since 7 October, Israel has killed 30,960 Palestinians, mainly women and children, and injured 72,524. Israel has also destroyed over 1000 mosques since 7 October. Al-Faruq mosque in Rafah, built in 1952, was obliterated in an Israeli attack last month. The prayers continue to take place in the rubble.
A ship loaded with humanitarian aid for Gaza prepares to depart from Cyprus. The involvement of a US charity in loading aid onto the boat marks the first shipment along a maritime corridor that the European Commission aims to open by Sunday. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed hope for opening a maritime corridor on Sunday, with a “pilot operation” facilitated by support from the United Arab Emirates.
Preparations have been underway for weeks with NGO partner Open Arms for the opening of a maritime aid corridor to scale humanitarian efforts in the region. The initiative is progressing, with a tugboat ready to deliver Palestinian civilians food, water, and vital supplies.
The Pentagon announced a US plan to establish a temporary offshore maritime pier in Gaza, involving over 1,000 US personnel. The Gen Frank S. Besson vessel is headed to provide humanitarian aid by sea. The US Central Command confirmed the departure occurred less than 36 hours after President Biden announced that sea assistance was being supplied to Gaza. The vessel carries the first equipment to establish a temporary pier for delivering humanitarian supplies.