UN says Israel inflicts terror on Gaza as 50 killed in overnight strikes

The United Nations warned that Israel's assault on  Gaza City amounts to state terror and forms part of a wider campaign of genocide, with more than 50 Palestinians killed in overnight attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid in Rafah, including footballer Mohammed al-Satri of Rafah Youth Club, medical sources said on Wednesday. Six others were injured in the attack.

Emergency teams also reported that eight people queuing for food near Rafah were killed in separate Israeli strikes.

In Gaza City, ambulance crews warned that more civilians were trapped under debris after multiple residential homes in the al-Sabra neighbourhood were targeted, with at least 11 members of one family dead.

In response to the relentless shelling, the United Nations said Israel's military was "inflicting terror on the Palestinian population of Gaza City and forcing tens of thousands to flee".

Thousands of Palestinians have been killed in recent months while trying to access food at distribution centres run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which UN officials have condemned for "weaponising" aid.

Germany, historically one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe, said the ongoing assault on Gaza City was "disproportionate". Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced Berlin had suspended all military exports that could be used in Gaza following Israel’s decision to seize the city.

The move came as G7 foreign ministers reiterated their call for a ceasefire, urging Israel to allow a “flood of humanitarian aid” into the besieged enclave.

In a joint statement, they said: "We stressed the urgency of alleviating the immense suffering of civilians in Gaza … and reiterated our call for a ceasefire."

The strikes coincided with a major ground push, as Israeli armoured vehicles advanced into several neighbourhoods under intense air and artillery fire.

Troops moved into Al-Sabra, the southern outskirts of Tal al-Hawa, and the northern beach area, marking the first such incursion since Israel launched Operation Gideon's Chariots 2, which aims to occupy Gaza City and expel its inhabitants, last August.

Surge in child amputations

The humanitarian toll on Gaza's children continues to escalate. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said an increasing number of injured children are undergoing amputations, with Gaza already recording the highest number of amputees per capita worldwide.

"These are children who have lost limbs who wake up screaming from nightmares, who no longer feel safe even in their own families," said Ciaran Donnelly, IRC’s senior vice president.

IRC surveys also show that one in three children in Gaza has gone without food for a full day, while only one per cent of households remain food secure.

In a statement, the ministry said that fuel shortages put medical facilities "only a few days away" from shutting down. 

A coalition of 25 European countries and Canada urged Israel to restore medical evacuation routes from Gaza to the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Their joint statement said there was "an urgent need to scale up medical treatment" for the tens of thousands of wounded.

The group pledged financial contributions, medical staff, and equipment to support Palestinian patients and demanded that Israel lift restrictions on medicines, fully enable UN humanitarian work, and guarantee protection for medical personnel in line with international law.

Since October 2023, Israel's war has killed at least 65,382 Palestinians and wounded 166,985, with thousands of uncounted casualties believed to be buried under the rubble.