Mathew Amaechi
In a dramatic intensification of a conflict that has already exacted a heavy toll on the region, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that at least 20 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes on Friday morning. The latest round of attacks underscores the relentless escalation in the area, even as the territory endures a complete blockade on aid deliveries that has now lasted two months.
Civil defense official Mohammed al-Mughayyir confirmed to the media that the death toll had risen by 20 since dawn. Among the casualties, nine were killed in a single devastating strike on a residential building in the Bureij refugee camp, located in central Gaza. The attack is the latest in a series of bombardments that resumed on March 18, following the collapse of a ceasefire that had largely held since January 19.
The renewed military campaign comes amid a broader and deeply troubling humanitarian crisis. The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip reported Thursday that the death toll from the resumed Israeli strikes has already reached 2,326—bringing the overall number of fatalities since the conflict began to 52,418. These staggering figures are a grim reminder of the prolonged suffering endured by civilians in the region.
This latest wave of violence traces back to an unprecedented Hamas assault on October 7, 2023, which claimed the lives of 1,218 people—mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally—and saw the abduction of 251 individuals. In response, Israel launched a sustained military campaign, vowing to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
The Israeli military has confirmed that 58 captives remain, including 34 who are believed to be dead.Political decisions have further compounded the crisis. Aid deliveries to Gaza were halted on March 2—just days before the ceasefire collapsed—pushing the region closer to a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe.
Local agencies and international organizations, including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), have repeatedly warned that famine is imminent, as medical and logistical capacities near total collapse.“This situation must not—and cannot—be allowed to escalate further,” Pascal Hundt, Deputy Director of Operations at the ICRC, stressed in a recent statement. His warning reflects the growing alarm within the humanitarian community as Gaza’s infrastructure buckles under sustained military pressure and crippling shortages of essential supplies.
As both sides brace for what may be a prolonged and devastating conflict, the international community watches with mounting concern. The escalating toll in human lives and the deepening humanitarian emergency have intensified calls for urgent action to prevent further civilian suffering and restore a measure of stability in one of the world’s most volatile regions.
