Gaza Crisis Worsens: Over 54,000 Palestinians Dead as Blockade Triggers Humanitarian Catastrophe

The Gaza Ministry of Health has reported that, since the beginning of the Israeli offensive on October 7, 2023, the number of Palestinians who have died has risen to 54,607, while 125,341 individuals have sustained injuries.

Since March 18, 2025, the ongoing wave of assaults has claimed the lives of 4,335 individuals and led to 13,300 injuries, highlighting the rapidly escalating human impact.

In the past 24 hours, hospitals throughout the Gaza Strip reported 97 casualties and 440 injuries as Israel continues its intensive bombing campaign.

Health authorities have cautioned that the true number of casualties is likely greater, as many victims remain trapped beneath collapsed structures and are scattered along the streets. Continuous bombardment and extensive devastation have severely hindered access for ambulance services and civil defense units to numerous impacted regions.

The situation in Gaza remains critical as the region’s medical infrastructure grapples with an overwhelming surge in casualties, compounded by the severe limitations imposed by the ongoing blockade and relentless airstrikes.

A correspondent for Al Mayadeen has reported that 26 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting multiple locations in the Gaza Strip since early Wednesday morning, amid an ongoing intensified offensive by Israeli forces.

In a related development, our correspondent reported that an Israeli airstrike near a mosque in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, resulted in the deaths of three Palestinians, while several others sustained injuries.

In a devastating incident, a bombing targeted tents sheltering forcibly displaced Palestinians at Al-Hanawi School, located west of Khan Younis. The attack resulted in the death of 14 individuals, with numbers still subject to confirmation.

In the early hours, Israeli warplanes launched renewed airstrikes on the al-Manara neighborhood and Qizan al-Najjar located in the southern part of Khan Younis. At the same time, Israeli aircraft conducted strikes on the Batin al-Samin area in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli warplanes have conducted another strike, demolishing a hall located near the European roundabout to the east of Khan Younis, as reported by Palestinian sources.

Israeli military aircraft conducted an airstrike on a residence in the al-Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, resulting in casualties and injuries.

A drone explosion has been reported on the roof of the administrative building of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. This incident forms part of a continuing pattern of assaults on medical infrastructure in the embattled region.

On Tuesday, Amnesty International issued a strong condemnation of Israel’s recurrent assaults on Palestinians in proximity to “aid distribution centers,” labeling the incidents as “horrific” and demanding an urgent and autonomous investigation into the matter.

The organization stressed that as the occupying power, Israel carries a legal responsibility to supply essential resources to the population of Gaza and to facilitate the distribution of aid in a manner that upholds dignity.

Amnesty International has called upon the global community to cease arms transfers to Israel and has demanded the unconditional lifting of the blockade on Gaza.

The organization has issued a stern warning, stating that the international community has permitted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to persist for an extended period.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has expressed grave concern regarding the critical humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Families in the region are grappling with severe shortages of food and essential supplies, a consequence of the persistent Israeli blockade and military actions.

In a recent social media announcement, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) emphasized the disparity in access to daily necessities worldwide, highlighting that essential hygiene products like toothbrushes, soap, and sanitary pads are largely inaccessible to the majority of families in Gaza.

The agency emphasized that access to fundamental necessities should be regarded as a right rather than a privilege, highlighting the critical deprivation experienced by Palestinians in the besieged territory.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has indicated that families in Gaza are resorting to extreme actions, such as missing meals and searching for leftover food, as they face critical food shortages.

The agency issued a warning that each family in Gaza is grappling with the challenge of securing their next meal.

The humanitarian crisis has intensified due to continued Israeli strikes on aid distribution centers, compounded by ongoing limitations on the entry of humanitarian supplies.

The agency has once again emphasized the critical need for unobstructed humanitarian access to Gaza, a region where over two million inhabitants endure severe hardships due to prolonged siege, displacement, and ongoing bombardment.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) stands among the limited number of organizations still providing assistance within Gaza amidst escalating difficulties. This effort continues despite the tragic loss of more than 180 staff members since the onset of hostilities in October 2023.

The agency emphasized the urgent necessity for safe and unrestricted access to deliver essential food supplies to the people of Gaza in dire need.