At least 56 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed and dozens more wounded on Saturday as Israel intensified its air and artillery bombardments across the Gaza Strip, according to local health authorities.

The renewed wave of attacks has pushed the death toll from Israel’s ongoing military onslaught—now in its seventh month—to at least 51,157, with more than 116,724 others injured.

In the early hours of Saturday, Israeli artillery targeted displaced civilians sheltering in a tent in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Local sources confirmed that one woman was killed and four others—including children and elderly—were wounded in the strike.

In central Gaza, tragedy struck the Nuseirat refugee camp, where a Palestinian man, Ismail Darwish, succumbed to injuries sustained in an earlier overnight Israeli air raid that destroyed his family home. The same attack had already claimed the lives of nine members of the Darwish family, making it one of the deadliest single incidents in the latest round of airstrikes.

Israeli artillery also shelled Al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, while simultaneous barrages struck the outskirts of Al-Maghazi refugee camp. These attacks were accompanied by intense gunfire from Israeli military vehicles, deepening fear and panic among residents.

In the southern city of Rafah, already teetering on the edge of humanitarian collapse, Israeli naval forces opened fire along the coastal areas using heavy machine guns, further endangering civilians seeking refuge near the shore.

As thousands of families remain trapped under relentless bombardment, rescue efforts have become nearly impossible. Civil defense teams report being unable to reach many areas due to continuous Israeli strikes and the total collapse of emergency infrastructure.

Since the start of Israel’s military campaign in October 2023, the Gaza Strip has endured catastrophic loss of life and widespread devastation. The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued interim measures urging Israel to prevent genocide and allow humanitarian access. Yet, Israeli operations continue unabated.

The growing civilian toll and destruction have led international observers and rights groups to accuse Israel of waging a campaign of collective punishment and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

With the siege tightening and humanitarian aid blocked from entering, Gaza’s civilian population remains trapped in what UN agencies describe as one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of the 21st century. (ILKHA)