Israeli strikes kill over 100 in Gaza in last 24 hours as charities cease operations amid siege

Israel killed at least 107 Palestinians since Wednesday morning, medical sources in Gaza said, as international charities such as the World Central Kitchen (WCK) announced they are no longer able to continue operations amid the ongoing siege.

The strikes across Gaza targeted various areas, from homes to markets and schools where displaced people are sheltering.

In Beit Lahia, strikes killed at least three people in a home, while a drone attack in the al-Zaytoun neighbourhood killed two civilians.

Warplanes also heavily bombarded the Nuseirat camp, leaving civil defence teams scrambling to rescue people from under the rubble.

One of the highest tolls recorded was in Gaza City, where at least 32 people were killed and 86 others were wounded, when strikes hit restaurants and a market in the al-Rimal neighbourhood. The strikes killed a journalist identified as Yahya Subaih.

The increased attacks come as Israel’s over two-month blockade on Gaza continues, obstructing any emergency aid from entering the Strip, including food, medical equipment, shelter and fuel.

The blockade has caused dozens of medical centres and hospitals to close as well as charity efforts to come to a halt.

The latest charity to announce they will be ceasing operations is the World Central Kitchen (WCK), who issued a statement on Wednesday saying they "no longer have the supplies to cook meals or bake bread in Gaza".

"Since Israel closed border crossings in early March, WCK has been unable to replenish the stocks of food that we use to feed hundreds of thousands of Gazans daily. In recent weeks, our teams stretched every remaining ingredient and fuel source using creativity and determination," the statement from the organisation read.

WCK’s two remaining field kitchens were baking around 80,000 loaves of bread daily, which starving families relied on.

However, the group reiterated that they are unable to replenish stocks forcing them to halt their aid efforts.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, cast further doubt on the fate of the remaining Israeli captives held in Gaza, following conflicting reports about their status.

In a video published on Telegram, Netanyahu said, "we know for certain that 21 hostages are alive, there is no despite about that. There are three others, and unfortunately, we do not know if they are alive," he said.

US President Trump further confirmed that three captives had recently died amid the heavy Israeli bombing, leaving the number of captives alive at 21.

The Gaza government media office said that Israel’s actions are part of "plans to establish forced isolation camps," within Gaza.

The office called the move to restrict Palestinians to certain areas a "direct extension of the genocide," likening it to "Nazi ghettos" and calling it a"prelude to expanding the crime of genocide in new forms, by controlling the distribution of humanitarian aid in a way that violates international laws".

The office further said that over 180,000 Palestinians have been either killed, wounded or are missing since the start of the war on the enclave in October 2023.

The war on Gaza has levelled entire neighbourhoods and plunged the Strip into a deep humanitarian crisis, with over 60,000 suffering from malnutrition.