ISRAELI attacks have killed 92 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip over the past two days, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health.
The attacks, which took place on April 17-19, have also left at least 219 people wounded and hospitalised, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday, with dozens more still trapped under the rubble or in areas that rescuers are unable to reach.
The surge in bloodshed comes as Israel presses a six-week aid blockade and demands that Hamas disarm before any truce can be agreed. The armed group has flatly refused the demand and insists a permanent ceasefire must be part of any deal.
At least 15 children, hit during an overnight air raid on tents in Khan Younis, were among the casualties, according to the statement. A raid on Rafah killed a mother and her daughter alongside two others, according to the European Hospital where their bodies were taken.
“For the vast majority of civilians, nighttime is the time of horror and unrelenting pain,” said Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from central Gaza. “Nobody is safe in their homes, in the makeshift tents, in displacement camps.”
After restarting its military campaign on March 18 following a brief ceasefire, Israel has pledged to intensify its 18-month war on Gaza and occupy large “security zones” inside the Strip.
Since March 2, it has also blocked the entry of food, fuel and aid into the enclave, defying an order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that it must allow humanitarian access.
Aid groups warn food is running out.
“Kids are eating less than a meal a day and struggling to find their next meal,” said Bushra Khalidi, policy head of Oxfam. “Malnutrition and pockets of famine are definitely occurring in Gaza.”
Earlier this week, Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal to pause fighting for 45 days if the Palestinian group releases 10 live captives and agrees to disarm.
“The request to disarm Hamas is not acceptable to even hear,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said. “This is not just a red line. It is a million red lines.”
Hamas has offered to free all remaining captives – believed to be about 58 although several are dead – in return for a permanent end to the war and the Israeli army’s full withdrawal.
