At least 22 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza today
At least 22 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza so far today, medical sources said.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has released a 2,086‑page list of 58,380 Palestinians killed since October 7, 2023, including the names, ages, genders and ID numbers of victims, on Thursday.
About 953 of those listed were infants under one year old, with nine reportedly dying on the day they were born.
The ministry announced that trucks carrying medical supplies and childhood vaccinations are expected to arrive 'later today' at Gaza hospitals via the World Health Organization and UNICEF. The statement urged 'all concerned parties' to ensure safe passage for the convoy.
Aid group Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said its Khan Younis distribution centre will remain closed for maintenance on Thursday. On Wednesday, 20 people were killed there—15 in a stampede and suffocation following tear gas use—according to Gaza health officials. GHF confirmed the deaths but blamed Hamas‑affiliated individuals for stirring unrest and denied firing tear gas. UN reports have criticised GHF's sites as 'death traps,' with over 870 fatalities near its aid distribution points since late May.
Aftermath of Israeli attack on UNRWA-run school
Photo: [Eyad Baba/AFP]
Palestinians salvage items after an Israeli strike on a tent camp at the UNRWA-run Abou Helou school for girls at the Bureij refugee camp [Eyad Baba/AFP]
Photo: [Eyad Baba/AFP]
Photo: [Eyad Baba/AFP]
Israeli strike on Catholic church
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned an Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church, saying it was 'unacceptable' after at least six people, including parish priest Gabriel Romanelli, were wounded.
I raid israeliani su Gaza colpiscono anche la chiesa della Sacra Famiglia. Sono inaccettabili gli attacchi contro la popolazione civile che Israele sta portando avanti da mesi. Nessuna azione militare può giustificare un tale atteggiamento. — Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) July 17, 2025
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed the Holy Family Church was hit by a military raid this morning. 'Currently, there are no fatalities confirmed,' the Patriarchate said in a statement, adding that further details would be provided once available.
Parish priest of the Church of the Holy Family, father Gabriele Romanelli, receives medical attention after he suffered light leg injuries following an Israeli strike on the church, according to medics, at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, in this still image taken from a video on July 17, 2025. — Reuters
People carry the body of Palestinian Christian Saad Salama, who was killed in an Israeli strike on the Church of the Holy Family, at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, in Gaza City. — Reuters
Disabled, elderly, children worst hit by war
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned Thursday that Israel's ongoing military offensive in Gaza is disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, the elderly and children.
In a statement posted on X, the agency said over 83 percent of individuals with disabilities have lost access to assistive devices, while 80 percent of elderly residents are in urgent need of life-saving medication.
In #Gaza, older persons, persons with disabilities, and children are disproportionately impacted by the ongoing war.
The collapse of essential services and protection mechanisms has left them at heightened risk.
The situation is critical. #CeasefireNow also for the most… pic.twitter.com/M9xinbJIt9 — UNRWA (@UNRWA) July 17, 2025
Meanwhile, Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, renewed Islamabad's demand for an 'immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire' in Gaza during a UN Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation.
'The world cannot stand by as Gaza is starved and shattered,' the ambassador said in a post on X. 'Behind each number is a life: a person with a story, a dream extinguished & a family torn apart.'
On another sweltering July morning, seven-month-old Salam lay motionless in her mother's trembling arms—her tiny ribs protruding like fragile twigs beneath skin drawn thin by hunger. Her sunken eyes, too weak to cry, flickered faintly as UNRWA health workers rushed to assist her… pic.twitter.com/UtrPvkgVaL — Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) July 17, 2025
Ahmad reiterated that a just and lasting peace requires the realisation of a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a sovereign Palestinian state.
Israeli troops wounded, West Bank raids intensify
Two Israeli soldiers from the elite Battalion 202 paratrooper brigade were seriously injured during combat operations in northern Gaza, the Israeli military said. The wounded soldiers were evacuated to Israel for treatment, and their families have been notified. Further details were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrested at least eight Palestinians during overnight raids across the occupied West Bank, according to Al Jazeera Arabic and the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
In Bethlehem, a 58-year-old man and a 23-year-old were detained in separate operations. In Tubas, a Palestinian youth was injured by Israeli troops during a raid.
In Qabatiya, near Jenin, one person was arrested and the homes of two Palestinians killed in previous encounters with Israeli forces were rigged with explosives for punitive demolition, Wafa reported. Raids also occurred in Kafr Jamal and Kafr Zibad, southeast of Qalqilya.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas are 'going well,' according to Reuters. He did not offer specifics but indicated cautious optimism over the ongoing talks.
Israel's war on Gaza
The Israeli army has launched a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing at least 57,481 Palestinians, including 134,592 children. More than 111,588 people have been injured, and over 14,222 are missing and presumed dead.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. The proposed deal includes a pause in hostilities, increased humanitarian aid, and negotiations on the release of captives.
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