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| Relatives of Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike in the central Gaza Strip city of Deir al-Balah mourn as they arrive at the scene of a suicide bombing in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Health Ministry said they were killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier that day. June 26, 2025 | Photo: Reuters |
At least 72 people were killed in the Gaza Strip within just 24 hours as Israeli forces intensified their airstrikes across the besieged Palestinian enclave, according to sources from multiple hospitals in Gaza.
Among those killed were civilians who lost their lives while desperately attempting to collect humanitarian aid, highlighting the worsening humanitarian catastrophe gripping Gaza.
The Gaza Government Media Office reported that over the past four weeks alone, at least 549 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to receive relief aid. Additionally, 4,066 people were reportedly injured in and around the United States and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) relief distribution centers.
The devastating conflict began on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian resistance group Hamas launched a surprise cross-border attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,139 people and the abduction of more than 200 individuals who were taken into Gaza as hostages. In retaliation, Israel immediately began a large-scale military campaign against the Gaza Strip, which has continued relentlessly ever since.
According to the latest figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, as of today, at least 56,259 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its military operations on October 7, 2023. An additional 132,458 people have been injured during this period.
The ongoing war has caused widespread devastation, with entire neighborhoods flattened, hospitals overwhelmed, and access to essential food, water, and medical supplies severely restricted due to a crippling blockade.
International human rights organizations and United Nations agencies have repeatedly condemned the targeting of aid seekers and relief centers, calling for immediate protection of civilians and unimpeded humanitarian access.
As the death toll continues to climb, regional tensions are escalating, with fears of a broader conflict spilling over into neighboring countries. Diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire have so far failed, while calls for international intervention grow louder.
The situation in Gaza remains one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with thousands of families displaced and entire communities reduced to rubble.