Israel launched intensified airstrikes on Gaza Wednesday, leaving at least 30 dead, Palestinian medics reported, following one of the deadliest days this year. The northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya bore the brunt, where eight people died on Wednesday and, the day prior, 93 were killed in a single strike that Washington has labeled “horrifying.” The strikes have devastated infrastructure and compounded the humanitarian crisis in the densely populated enclave.
Israel’s military has targeted areas across northern Gaza in an effort to dismantle Hamas’ command posts. Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia have seen extensive destruction, with tank incursions in recent weeks. An Israeli official said the Tuesday airstrike that collapsed a building in Beit Lahiya aimed at an individual acting as a “spotter” on the roof, not at the building itself. The health ministry in Gaza reported hundreds of fatalities, with children and civilians among the dead.
The blockade on Gaza has cut off essential supplies, with Beit Lahiya’s local leaders pleading with international organizations to step in as aid and food supplies reach critical lows. Israeli officials claim food deliveries are ongoing, while UN officials argue that bans on the UNRWA’s operations hinder vital relief efforts. In hospitals like Kamal Adwan, medical workers struggle to save lives amid shortages. “Bodies and injured people remain trapped under the rubble,” reported Dr. Eid Sabbah, with many survivors resorting to mule carts for transport.
The war, which began after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel that left 1,200 dead, has resulted in over 43,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Parallel assaults by Israel on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon have heightened regional tensions, with more than 2,700 casualties in Lebanon alone, the Lebanese health ministry reports. U.S. mediators continue to push for a 60-day ceasefire with Hezbollah, though Israel’s strikes on Lebanese cities like Baalbek have persisted.
Across Gaza, residents like Dalia al-Kharawat are displaced and forced to seek shelter in makeshift camps. She and her five children now live in the open-air parking lot of a ruined building in Gaza City, with schools and shelters filled beyond capacity. The ongoing conflict shows no sign of abating, leaving Gaza’s civilians increasingly desperate as international calls for intervention intensify.
