Human Lives Human Rights: In a devastating update on the situation in the Gaza Strip, the government media office in the region has reported a staggering rise in the death toll resulting from Israeli airstrikes. The toll now stands at 9,500 lives lost, with a significant majority of the victims being women and children, as disclosed on Saturday.
During a press conference, Salama Marouf, the head of the media office, revealed the grim statistics, stating, “The death toll due to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has reached 9,500, including 3,900 children and 2,509 women.”
The impact of the Israeli raids extends beyond the loss of human lives. Marouf shared that these attacks have caused the destruction of 55 mosques, three universities, three churches, and five structures belonging to the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in Gaza.
The healthcare sector has also suffered immense losses, with Marouf noting, “Sixteen hospitals, 32 primary care centers, and 27 ambulances were damaged, in addition to 105 medical institutions.”
Residential buildings haven’t been spared either, with 8,500 homes and 40,000 housing units destroyed, and 220,000 other units damaged. Furthermore, 88 government facilities and 220 schools were also affected, with 60 of them being forced to cease operations.
Marouf emphasized that the Israeli occupation has intensified its actions during the past 24 hours, coinciding with the visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region. He expressed concern that these actions are aimed at eliminating various aspects of life in the northern Gaza Strip and Gaza City through excessive crimes and massacres.
Marouf issued a warning regarding the deliberate targeting of more hospitals, urgently calling for immediate intervention to ensure the supply of fuel to these medical facilities in order to save lives.
In the past 24 hours, Israeli aircraft continued their airstrikes across different areas in the Gaza Strip, even targeting hospitals and schools that were providing shelter to thousands of displaced civilians. These attacks have resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries.
Earlier on Saturday, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported that 15 Palestinians lost their lives, and more than 70 were injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted Al-Fakhoura School, affiliated with the UN agency UNRWA, located in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
The residents of Gaza are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian and health crisis, with approximately 1.4 million people out of 2.3 million being displaced from their homes. Israel’s refusal to provide fuel supplies has left many hospitals unable to operate.
Both the UN and Red Cross have raised concerns about the insufficient amount of humanitarian aid reaching the Gaza Strip, which has been enduring a near-total blockade for nearly 30 days. The situation in Gaza remains critical, with urgent international attention and assistance needed to address this ongoing crisis.
