At least 72 Palestinians have been killed and 174 others wounded in the past 24 hours in Gaza, according to local health authorities, as Israel continues its military campaign in the densely populated enclave.

Medical sources in Gaza say the majority of the casualties are women and children. Emergency services report being unable to reach many of the injured or retrieve bodies from under the rubble due to ongoing hostilities and damage to infrastructure.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza states that the death toll since the war resumed on 18 March—following a brief truce—has now reached 6,008, with over 20,000 others injured. Since the onset of the conflict in October 2023, more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed and 132,000 injured, the ministry reports.

The UN has warned of worsening conditions in Gaza, where hospitals are overwhelmed and basic supplies are running dangerously low. Aid agencies say that access to civilians in need is increasingly difficult, with some convoys reportedly coming under fire.

Emergency crews have also come under attack, according to Gaza's civil defense authorities, who accuse Israeli forces of targeting ambulances and rescue teams. Israel has not commented on these specific allegations.

The conflict has drawn sharp criticism from the international community. The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire, and the International Court of Justice has issued provisional measures urging Israel to prevent actions that could amount to genocide and to ensure humanitarian access.

Israel maintains that its military operations target Hamas fighters and infrastructure, in response to attacks launched from Gaza. However, rights groups and UN experts have raised concerns about the scale of civilian harm and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Reports from inside Gaza describe scenes of widespread devastation, with large swathes of residential areas reduced to rubble. Humanitarian agencies warn that the enclave faces a collapse of basic services, with rising cases of disease and severe malnutrition.

With no political resolution in sight, the toll on Gaza’s civilian population continues to mount. (ILKHA)