The death toll from the forced starvation caused by Israel’s blockade and siege is rapidly rising, with six more Palestinians dying in the last 24 hours, bringing the toll to 175 people, including 93 children.
This comes as Israeli bombardment in Gaza targeted the Palestinian Red Crescent Society headquarters in Khan Younis, killing a staff member.
On Sunday morning, Israeli forces also killed at least 18 Palestinians, with 13 of them waiting for emergency humanitarian aid. Medical sources confirmed that the aid-seekers were shot near the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation centre, north of Rafah.
A day earlier, the Israeli military killed at least 62 people, including 38 children, across the Strip.
The Palestinian ministry of health again pushed for medical aid and food to be allowed into the Strip.
Journalists on the ground said the very limited aid trucks coming into Gaza have not made a difference to civilians, as they have not been allowed to reach distribution points, hot meal kitchens are out of service, and prices of goods have skyrocketed while people have no access to withdraw money.
The pounding of the Strip coincides with comments from Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who reiterated calls for the "re-occupation of Gaza". In a post on X he said a "message must be sent: to ensure that we conquer all of the Gaza Strip, declare sovereignty over the entire Gaza Strip, take down every Hamas member, and encourage voluntary migration".
However, Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, pressed that the government should end the war, emphasising that "the majority of the public does not stand behind it, does not believe in its objectives and does not trust the leadership".
Around the world, condemnation of Israel’s actions is growing, with Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney telling reporters that "it’s quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine – it can’t be disputed".
Israel’s Channel12 reported on Sunday that the Israeli prime minister and US President Donald Trump have contacted eachother and are set to discuss a new proposal that would include giving Hamas a deadline to release all the captives, in exchange for a comprehensive ceasefire. It would also include the US-led international administration of Gaza and require Hamas to fully disarm.
Meanwhile, an Israeli army investigation published by the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation found that most of the suicides among Israeli soldiers were due to difficulties they faced from prolonged stays in combat zones and the “harsh” scenes they were forced to witness.
The data was published at the same time disagreements emerged between the military leadership and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the conduct and handling of the war and captives held in Gaza.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 60,000 Palestinians since October 2023 and left over 148,000 others wounded. The war has levelled entire neighbourhoods, plunged the Strip into famine and has been determined to be a genocide by leading rights groups.