Israeli airstrikes continue to target Gaza, resulting in the deaths and injuries of numerous Palestinians across various areas of the territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that eliminating Hamas is a higher priority than securing the release of hostages.
Since early yesterday morning, 14 Palestinians have been killed due to Israeli military actions in different regions of Gaza. Palestinian news sources reported that five individuals, including children, lost their lives when a home was struck in the western Khan Younis camp, while another Palestinian was killed and several were critically injured in shelling targeting the town of Khuza’a, located east of Khan Younis. Additionally, one person died from drone fire in the Manara area, southeast of the city.
The reports further detailed that two Palestinians were killed when Israeli artillery fired upon farmers in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. Another death occurred when airstrikes targeted a group of Palestinians in Al-Rudai Street in the town. Further casualties included one individual killed in shelling on Al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in eastern Gaza, another in an attack west of al-Nasirat camp in central Gaza, and one more injured from drone fire near Al-Bashir Mosque in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood of eastern Gaza City.
A Higher Objective
Netanyahu stated that achieving victory over Hamas is a more critical objective in the Gaza conflict than the return of hostages. Media outlets reported him saying that while the release of captives is indeed significant, it is secondary to the overarching goal of defeating Hamas.
Concurrently, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the situation in Gaza as catastrophic, with two million individuals suffering from hunger. Michael Ryan, the executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, expressed concern about the physical and mental toll on children in Gaza, asserting, “We are damaging the bodies and minds of Gaza’s children… We are starving the children of Gaza… We are complicit,” urging the international community to take action.
A Dire Situation
Additionally, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees reported that around 660,000 children in Gaza are currently out of school due to the ongoing conflict. UNRWA explained that since military operations resumed after the ceasefire, temporary educational activities have been severely impacted, and recent evacuation orders have made it increasingly difficult for children to access urgently needed psychological support and recreational activities.