Death toll mounts in Gaza as Israel faces genocide accusations

Fresh Israeli airstrikes kill 51 Palestinians amid worsening humanitarian catastrophe, as global courts weigh genocide charges against Israeli leadership

GAZA, Palestine (MNTV) — The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has surged yet again, with at least 51 more Palestinians killed in the past 24 hours by intensified Israeli airstrikes, local health authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

Among the dead are 14 Palestinians killed in attacks on Gaza City, Beit Hanoon, Khan Younis, and the al-Mawasi area.

Israel’s military and Shin Bet intelligence agency claimed responsibility for killing two senior Hamas fighters, Said Abu Hasnan and Mustafa al-Mutawwak, during the latest operations.

The renewed onslaught comes as international criticism sharpens.

The Gaza Government Media Office said Israel is “using starvation and thirst as systematic weapons of war” — tactics it described as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

It warned that over 65,000 Palestinian children are currently hospitalized with acute malnutrition, out of more than 1.1 million facing daily hunger.

The closure of border crossings has worsened health conditions, especially for children and infants, with hospitals overwhelmed and essential supplies running critically low.

The Ministry of Education in Gaza also released grim statistics, reporting that at least 14,784 students have been killed and nearly 25,000 wounded across Palestinian territories since October 7, 2023.

Schools, often used as shelters, have been systematically targeted, according to aid agencies.

Amnesty International on Tuesday accused Israel of committing a “live-streamed genocide” by forcibly displacing Gaza’s civilian population and systematically creating a humanitarian catastrophe.

In a damning new report, Amnesty said Israel is acting with a “specific intent to destroy Palestinians,” meeting the legal threshold for genocide.

Despite a ceasefire agreement earlier this year, Israel resumed its military offensive on March 18, leading to 2,273 deaths and more than 5,800 injuries since that date alone.

Health Ministry now puts the official death toll at 52,365, with 117,905 wounded since October 2023.

However, the Government Media Office estimates the actual death toll has surpassed 61,700, accounting for thousands of people still buried under the rubble of flattened neighborhoods.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) last November issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Separately, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where proceedings are ongoing.

Humanitarian agencies warn that without immediate ceasefire and massive aid intervention, Gaza faces a looming total collapse of health, food, and sanitation systems, placing the remaining population at extreme risk of disease and starvation.