GAZA – Israeli airstrikes killed at least six Palestinians, including two children, in the latest wave of bombardments on the Gaza Strip, according to local health officials on Monday. The attacks come amid growing international alarm over the deepening humanitarian crisis and relentless destruction of Gaza’s already crippled health infrastructure.
The victims, reported to be civilians, were targeted in separate strikes overnight in central and southern Gaza. Eyewitnesses described harrowing scenes of rescue workers pulling children’s bodies from the rubble of a residential building.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 36 hospitals and medical facilities across the enclave have been bombed, raided, or besieged by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) since the beginning of the war. This includes Gaza’s only functioning kidney dialysis centre, which was severely damaged, leaving hundreds of patients without life-saving treatment.
“The health system in Gaza is not just on the verge of collapse—it has already collapsed,” said a spokesperson for the ministry. “Attacks on medical facilities are not only a violation of international law, they are a direct assault on the right to life.”
Medical workers have repeatedly called for international intervention to halt the targeting of hospitals and ensure humanitarian corridors for medicine, food, and aid. However, such calls have so far gone unheeded.
The Israeli military claims its strikes target Hamas operatives and military infrastructure hidden in civilian areas, a justification that has been widely questioned by international human rights organisations. Critics argue that the scale and frequency of civilian casualties point to a pattern of indiscriminate use of force.
As the conflict enters another week, over 36,000 Palestinians have been killed since October, according to Palestinian sources, with thousands more injured or missing. Israel’s operations in Gaza have drawn growing criticism from global civil society, though concrete international action remains limited.
The World Health Organization and UN agencies continue to warn of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis if hostilities persist, urging both sides to observe international humanitarian law, especially in the protection of civilians and medical personnel.
