Israel continues onslaught in Gaza: Over 60 Palestinians kills, 185 injured

Israel  airstrikes across Gaza, killing dozens—including women, children and aid workers—as Hollywood and world leaders denounce ‘genocide’

GAZA, PALESTINE (MNTV) — At least 60 Palestinians were killed and 185 injured in the past 24 hours as Israeli forces unleashed a wave of strikes across the Gaza Strip, pushing the enclave deeper into one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in modern times.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the staggering toll on Friday, reporting widespread devastation from Khan Younis in the south to Gaza City in the north.

Among the dead were 29 children and elderly who succumbed not to bombs, but to hunger—officially registered as starvation-related deaths.

Israeli air raids targeted homes, hospitals, and humanitarian convoys throughout the night and day. In southern Khan Younis, a missile strike on a family home killed eight, including seven children.

Hours later, another bombing in eastern Khan Younis killed 11 more, while two siblings died in a separate blast. A strike on a residential building in northern Gaza left over 50 feared dead or missing.

Deir al-Balah in central Gaza also came under intense fire. Ten were killed in a drone attack, and others injured. When neighbors rushed to assist the wounded, Israeli forces struck again. Another missile hit a hospital warehouse, setting it ablaze, while Israeli troops reportedly blocked rescue crews from reaching the scene.

One of the deadliest attacks of the day targeted a group of Palestinian guards in Deir al-Balah, assigned to protect aid trucks. Six were killed by Israeli strikes while fending off looters, in what appears to be yet another incident of coordinated attacks involving local gangs and the Israeli military.

Anadolu Agency reported that the guards were trying to ensure food deliveries reached warehouses of international aid agencies.

Across Gaza, shelling and drone strikes continued into the night, as Israeli forces reportedly fired on civilians and ambulances alike. In the central Nuseirat refugee camp, one person was killed and several wounded in a missile strike on a residential home.

Witnesses also reported Israeli helicopters opening fire in Khan Younis’ al-Qarara area, while artillery shelling rained down on Qizan al-Najjar and Abu Rashwan.

The destruction has exacerbated a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said that 15 of its trucks were looted Thursday night while attempting to deliver essential food supplies to bakeries. The agency warned that two million people now face “extreme hunger and potential famine,” urging Israel to immediately open more aid corridors.

“The current restrictions and security threats are strangling our ability to operate,” WFP said, calling on Israeli authorities to facilitate faster and safer food access.

Global condemnation of the war is mounting. A powerful open letter, signed by more than 900 figures from the film industry, accused the Israeli government of committing genocide in Gaza and blasted the international cultural community for its silence.

The petition, which began circulating before the Cannes Film Festival, includes signatures from Mark Ruffalo, Ralph Fiennes, Susan Sarandon, Richard Gere, Pedro Almodovar, and Lupin actor Omar Sy.

The initiative, Artists for Fatem, was launched in honor of Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, who was killed last month in an Israeli airstrike alongside 10 family members. A documentary about her life had just been selected for screening at Cannes.

“As artists and cultural players, we cannot remain silent while genocide is taking place in Gaza,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, a joint declaration by 80 countries condemned the worsening humanitarian crisis, urging an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access. Hamas welcomed the statement, calling it a long-overdue recognition of the catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.

Since October 2023, the Israeli military campaign has killed at least 53,762 Palestinians and wounded 122,197, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Most of the victims are women and children.