At least 16 Palestinian civilians, including five individuals waiting for humanitarian aid, were killed in a series of brutal Israeli airstrikes and gunfire across the Gaza Strip since Thursday dawn, according to medical sources.

The relentless attacks have once again targeted vulnerable communities, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.

In a particularly heinous incident, Israeli forces opened fire on a group of civilians gathered near an aid distribution center north of Rafah, in southern Gaza, killing five people and wounding dozens of others. The victims, who were simply seeking essential humanitarian assistance, were caught in a barrage of violence, highlighting the dire conditions faced by Palestinians under Israel’s ongoing blockade and military operations.

Further north, in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City, two more Palestinians lost their lives in a devastating Israeli shelling, adding to the mounting death toll. In Khan Yunis, Amal Salem al-Amour, a Palestinian woman, succumbed to injuries sustained in an earlier Israeli strike on her tent, underscoring the lasting toll of Israel’s indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure.

These latest strikes come amid a pattern of aggression that has displaced thousands and left Gaza’s population grappling with severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. Palestinian officials and residents have condemned the targeting of civilians, particularly those seeking aid, as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.

As the international community remains largely silent, Palestinians in Gaza continue to endure unimaginable suffering under Israel’s relentless military campaign, with calls for justice and an end to the occupation growing louder. (ILKHA)