Israel has killed five more children with the overnight bombing of a residential area in Gaza City that also left at least eight members of a family trapped under rubble, amid Tel Aviv's escalating onslaught on the beseiged Palestinian territory.
The attack is part of a broader escalation in violence since Israel broke the Gaza ceasefire on Tuesday, with nearly 600 Palestinians killed since the renewed offensive began.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that more than 49,600 Palestinians have died, with 112,950 others wounded in the ongoing conflict.
Since Israel’s renewed attacks, humanitarian aid and basic services have been severely restricted, exacerbating the suffering of Gaza’s nearly two million residents.
Adding to the mounting crisis, the Israeli military advanced deeper into Gaza on Friday, destroying the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only specialised cancer treatment centre in the region.
The attack on the hospital has drawn international condemnation, with health professionals lamenting the loss of a vital lifeline for many Palestinian patients.
Dr Zaki Al-Zaqzouq, head of the oncology department at the hospital, expressed disbelief, saying, "I cannot fathom what could be gained from bombing a hospital that served as a lifeline for so many patients."
The destruction of vital infrastructure is compounded by widespread food insecurity in Gaza. With limited food supplies and rising prices, many Palestinians rely on community kitchens and hot meal points to survive.
However, most others, especially children, struggle to secure even one meal per day. The dire shortage of food and medical supplies has left hospitals unable to treat the increasing number of casualties, many of whom have sustained injuries from the relentless Israeli airstrikes.
"The situation in Gaza is deteriorating by the minute," said a local doctor, who requested anonymity for safety reasons. "We have very little to work with, and the number of people needing treatment grows every day."
The impact on Gaza’s civilian population is devastating, with widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, and essential services. Israeli military operations have caused severe damage to roads, water, and sanitation facilities in the northern West Bank and Gaza Strip, creating serious public health risks.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, with the health sector under immense pressure to treat those injured in the attacks.
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, announced that military operations would continue with increasing intensity until Hamas releases the remaining 59 hostages.
Meanwhile, sirens sounded over Israeli cities on Friday after rockets were fired from Gaza, marking another escalation in the already tense situation.
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