Latest news with #airstrike
CTV News
8 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
UN says malnutrition in Gaza has doubled as health officials say Israeli strikes kill over 90 people
Hossam Azzam holds the body of his child, Amir, who was killed in an Israeli military airstrike on Gaza, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on July 15, 2025. (Jehad Alshrafi / AP Photo) DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Malnutrition rates among children in the Gaza Strip have doubled since Israel imposed sharp restrictions on the entry of food in March, the UN said Tuesday. New Israeli strikes killed more than 90 Palestinians, including dozens of women and children, according to health officials. Hunger has been rising among Gaza's more than two million Palestinians since Israel broke a ceasefire in March to resume the war and banned all food and other supplies from entering Gaza, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. It slightly eased the blockade in late May, allowing in a trickle of aid. UNRWA, the main UN agency caring for Palestinians in Gaza, said it had screened nearly 16,000 children under age five at its clinics in June and found 10.2 per cent of them were acutely malnourished. By comparison, in March, 5.5 per cent of the nearly 15,000 children it screened were malnourished. New airstrikes kill several families One strike in the northern Shati refugee camp killed a 68-year-old Hamas member of the Palestinian legislature, as well as a man and a woman and their six children who were sheltering in the same building, according to officials from the heavily damaged Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken. One of the deadliest strikes hit a house in Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa district on Monday evening and killed 19 members of the family living inside, according to Shifa Hospital. The dead included eight women and six children. A strike on a tent housing displaced people in the same district killed a man and a woman and their two children. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strikes. Gaza's Health Ministry said in a daily report Tuesday afternoon that the bodies of 93 people killed by Israeli strikes had been brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours, along with 278 wounded. It did not specify the total number of women and children among the dead. The Hamas politician killed in a strike early Tuesday, Mohammed Faraj al-Ghoul, was a member of the bloc of representatives from the group that won seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council in the last national elections, held in 2006. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas. But daily, it hits homes and shelters where people are living without warning or explanation of the target. Malnutrition grows UNICEF, which screens children separately from UNRWA, has also reported a marked increase in malnutrition cases. It said this week its clinics had documented 5,870 cases of malnutrition among children in June, the fourth straight month of increases and more than double the around 2,000 cases it documented in February. Experts have warned of famine since Israel tightened its long-running blockade in March. Israel has allowed an average of 69 trucks a day carrying supplies, including food, since it eased the blockade in May, according to the latest figures from COGAT, the Israeli military agency in charge of coordinating aid. That is far below the hundreds of trucks a day the UN says are needed to sustain Gaza's population. On Tuesday, COGAT blamed the UN for failing to distribute aid, saying in a post on X that thousands of pallets of supplies were inside Gaza waiting to be picked up by UN trucks. The UN says it has struggled to pick up and distribute aid because of Israeli military restrictions on its movements and the breakdown in law and order. Israel has also let in food for distribution by an American contractor, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. GHF says it has distributed food boxes with the equivalent of more than 70 million meals since late May at the four centers it runs in the Rafah area of southern Gaza and in central Gaza. More than 840 Palestinians have been killed and more than 5,600 others wounded in shootings as they walk for hours trying to reach the GHF centers, according to the Health Ministry. Witnesses say Israeli forces open fire with barrages of live ammunition to control crowds on the roads to the GHF centers, which are located in military-controlled zones. The military says it has fired warning shots at people it says have approached its forces in a suspicious manner. GHF says no shootings have taken place in or immediately around its distribution sites. No breakthrough in ceasefire efforts The latest attacks came after U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held two days of talks last week that ended with no sign of a breakthrough in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release. Israel has killed more than 58,400 Palestinians and wounded more than 139,000 others in its retaliation campaign since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Just over half the dead are women and children, according to the ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after its attack 21 month ago, in which militants stormed into southern Israel and killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They abducted 251 others, and the militants are still holding 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive. U.S. calls for probe into killing of Palestinian-American In a separate development, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called on Israel to investigate the killing of a 20-year-old Palestinian-American whose family said was beaten to death by Jewish settlers over the weekend in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. 'There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act,' Huckabee wrote on X. Seifeddin Musalat, born in Florida, and a local friend were killed Friday. Musalat was beaten to death by Israeli settlers on his family's land, his cousin Diana Halum told reporters. The family had called on the U.S. State Department to investigate his death and hold the settlers accountable. The Israeli military said a confrontation erupted after Palestinians hurled stones at Israelis in the area earlier in the day, lightly wounding two people. Huckabee, like many in the Trump administration, is a strong supporter of Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal by most of the international community and seen by the Palestinians as a major obstacle to peace. Israel strikes Lebanon's Bekaa Valley Also on Tuesday, Israel launched a series of strikes in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, targeting what the military said were compounds of the Hezbollah militant group. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said that one of the strikes hit a Syrian refugee camp, killing seven Syrians. Altogether, the strikes killed 12 people and wounded eight, it said. Hezbollah said one of the strikes hit a rig used to drill water wells. Israel has continued to carry out near-daily strikes in Lebanon since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement nominally brought an end to the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November. Some 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon during the war and more than 250 since the ceasefire. ___ Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed. Wafaa Shurafa, The Associated Press
LBCI
8 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Hezbollah calls Israel east Lebanon strike a 'major escalation'
Hezbollah condemned an Israeli airstrike that killed 12 people in the Bekaa Valley on Tuesday, as a "major escalation." In a statement, the group said Israel's attack "constitutes a major escalation in the context of the ongoing aggression against Lebanon and its people." It called on Lebanese authorities to "take serious, immediate, and decisive action" to uphold a November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. AFP
Al Mayadeen
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Gaza rescue teams paralyzed by fuel crisis, death toll mounts
In the past few hours only, Israeli indiscriminate bombing has killed and injured many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. An Israeli strike targeting a group of civilians in the al-Shati Camp in western Gaza City killed and wounded many. 20 were reported missing in an Israeli airstrike on two homes in Jabalia al-Nazla, northern Gaza Strip, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent. Injuries were reported from Israeli drone fire near the Public Security Junction in western Gaza were killed in Israeli shelling on the neighborhoods of Bani Suheila, Sheikh Nasser, and al-Balad in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. Read more: 26 Palestinians killed in latest wave of Israeli bombings on Gaza Two were killed in an afternoon Israeli strike targeting aid seekers in western Gaza City. Another strike on the northwest of Gaza City killed four. Earlier today, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that hospitals received the bodies of 59 martyrs, including nine retrieved from under the rubble, and 208 injuries over 24 hours. Many victims remain trapped beneath debris and along roads, unreachable due to continued bombardment. Since October 7, 2023, as of June 16, 2025, the death toll of the Israeli genocide in Gaza has surged to 57,882 Palestinians killed and 138,095 injured. Since March 18, 2025, the total toll has risen to 7,311 killed and 26,054 wounded. Moreover, as the Israeli-made famine looms over Gaza, 17 starved Palestinians were killed since early morning and over 53 were injured while trying to receive aid at designated "aid distribution sites" and were later transported to hospitals, as per the Ministry's report. The death toll among Palestinians killed while seeking food aid in designated distribution zones has now climbed to 805, with more than 5,252 others wounded, according to the report. The United Nations issued a stark warning on Saturday, stating that fuel shortages in the Gaza Strip have reached "critical levels", exacerbating the suffering in the war-torn Palestinian territory. Seven UN agencies, in a joint statement, emphasized that "fuel is the backbone of survival in Gaza," essential for powering hospitals, water and sanitation systems, ambulances, and all aspects of humanitarian efforts. They also highlighted the importance of fuel for bakeries, which are crucial for food production. Gaza has been grappling with severe fuel shortages since the Israeli occupation has unleashed its brutal siege and aggression on the strip, with the situation becoming more dire now than ever as UN agencies, including the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, and OCHA, warn that the fuel crisis has reached critical levels. "After almost two years of war, people in Gaza are facing extreme hardships, including widespread food insecurity," the agencies said. "When fuel runs out, it places an unbearable new burden on a population teetering on the edge of starvation." The UN further stated that without sufficient fuel, humanitarian organizations working in Gaza, where large swaths have been devastated by Israeli airstrikes and famine threats loom, will likely be forced to cease operations entirely. "Without fuel, bakeries and community kitchens cannot operate. Water production and sanitation systems will shut down, leaving families without safe drinking water, while solid waste and sewage pile up in the streets," the statement added. "These conditions expose families to deadly disease outbreaks and push Gaza's most vulnerable even closer to death," the agencies warned. This alert follows the UN's recent achievement of delivering fuel to Gaza for the first time in 130 days. While it was a "welcome development", the agencies emphasized that the 75,000 liters of fuel brought in represent only a fraction of the needed fuel to maintain essential services and humanitarian operations. "The United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners cannot overstate the urgency of this moment," the UN agencies and their humanitarian partners stated. "Fuel must be allowed into Gaza in sufficient quantities and consistently to sustain life-saving operations."
Al Mayadeen
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Lawmaker Faraj al-Ghoul martyred as Israeli strikes devastate Gaza
Palestinian sources have reported on Tuesday the martyrdom of Faraj al-Ghoul, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, in an Israeli airstrike targeting Gaza City. According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza, five Palestinians were martyred and more than 13 others injured after Israeli warplanes bombed a residential home near Martyrs Square in the al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City. Further casualties were reported in a separate Israeli strike on a house in the al-Zarqa area in Jabalia, northern Gaza, where several more Palestinians were martyred and others occupation forces also demolished residential buildings east of Jabalia town in northern Gaza and struck another house in al-Shati refugee camp. Several homes were also leveled in eastern and western areas of Gaza City. In eastern Gaza, occupation forces carried out heavy bombardment of the Shujaiyya neighborhood, reportedly preventing ambulance crews from reaching the targeted areas. Additionally, Israeli warplanes bombed Al-Awda 2 Tower in Tal al-Hawa, located behind al-Quds Hospital. As the genocide rages on unabated, the Israeli occupation forces continue targeting civilians and compounding the death toll in Gaza. Yesterday, 51 Palestinians were martyred. Since October 7, 2023, almost 58,000 Palestinians have been killed, with more than 138,095 injuries. The majority of the victims have been defenseless women and children. Read more: 'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'
Al Mayadeen
11 hours ago
- Al Mayadeen
Massacre in Deir al-Balah: ‘Israel' kills women, children in aid queue
A brutal massacre unfolded in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, after Israeli occupation forces targeted a crowd of starved Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid. According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent, the devastating airstrike killed 16 civilians, including 10 children, as desperate parents stood in line to receive nutritional supplements for their little ones. The Israeli attack reportedly struck near the al-Bashir laundry, in the vicinity of the al-Zuwari junction, where mothers and children had gathered in hopes of securing basic sustenance. Eyewitnesses described a chilling scene: lifeless bodies strewn across the street, many of them young children, an atrocity captured in graphic footage widely circulated by local Israeli tanks opened fire on tents housing forcibly displaced families in the al-Maslakh area, west of Khan Younis, causing numerous injuries and widespread destruction. The families had sought shelter in the area after being displaced by earlier bombardments. Elsewhere, heavy machine gun fire from Israeli military vehicles was reported in the al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City. In both the eastern and southern parts of the city, Israeli forces also carried out widespread demolitions, blasting residential blocks and reducing Palestinian homes to rubble. This massacre is part of a broader pattern of daily atrocities committed by Israeli occupation forces against the people in Gaza. Despite repeated appeals from humanitarian organizations and human rights groups, the international community, particularly the United Nations, has failed to stop the ongoing genocide. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has issued a grave warning over the dire conditions faced by tens of thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza, as extreme hunger continues to jeopardize their health and the survival of their newborns. In a statement shared by UNFPA's Arab States Regional Office on X, the agency revealed that approximately 50,000 women in Gaza 'haven't eaten for days.' Malnourishment is preventing mothers from breastfeeding, while baby formula remains unavailable due to ongoing shortages. This has resulted in a spike in premature and underweight births. 'Babies are born too soon, too small,' the post read. 'Newborns are at risk of death or lifelong health issues.' Labeling the crisis as preventable, UNFPA called for immediate humanitarian access, urging: '#OpenUpGaza Let aid in.' UN agencies continue to report severe restrictions on humanitarian access, compounding the suffering of women, children, and other vulnerable groups. Aid organizations have consistently appealed for unimpeded delivery of essential life-saving assistance. Since the genocide began in October 2023, nearly 57,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli occupation forces, the majority of whom are women and children. Constant bombardment has devastated infrastructure, triggered famine-like conditions, and contributed to the spread of disease. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant over charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Separately, "Israel" is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) released new data this week pointing to a drastic increase in child mortality across Gaza. According to a retrospective mortality survey conducted by its epidemiological unit, Epicentre, the death rate for children under five has increased tenfold since the war began. The survey covered 2,523 individuals, including MSF staff and their families. It found that the overall death rate was five times higher than pre-war levels, while mortality among newborns under one month rose sixfold. 'The children of Gaza are being decimated,' said Amande Bazerolle, deputy manager of MSF's emergency department. 'Forty-eight percent of the people who died from blast injuries among our colleagues' households were children, and 40 percent were under 10 years old.' According to the report, over 2% of those surveyed have died since October 7, 2023, and 7% have sustained injuries. Around 75% of deaths were war-related, mainly due to explosions. The survey also underscored the collapse of Gaza's healthcare system. Two-thirds of chronically ill patients reported interruptions in treatment. Even among MSF families, who had relatively better access to care, 20% experienced at least one injury from blasts or gunfire within their household. 'This is the result of the Israeli campaign to systematically destroy the health system and the means of survival of the whole population,' MSF stated. The organization called on "Israel" to halt what it described as a 'genocidal campaign,' lift the blockade, and enable urgent medical evacuations, particularly for children. Read more: 'Skin and bones': Gaza's infants starve under Israeli siege
