by Temitope Oladeji
24/4/2025
Israeli airstrikes continued across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing at least 46 Palestinians, including several civilians sheltering at a school, according to medical sources and civil defence teams in the besieged enclave.
Among the casualties were three people who were killed in Deir el-Balah and another eight died when their home was struck in Gaza City’s Shujayea neighbourhood.
Gaza’s civil defence reported that four additional bodies were recovered from the rubble of two nearby homes.
In Gaza City, a night-time strike on a makeshift shelter resulted in multiple deaths and injuries.
At least 13 people have died from that single incident, with six more believed to be trapped beneath the rubble, according to rescue teams.
However, workers say they are unable to reach the victims due to the lack of heavy equipment.
The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 105 people were injured in Israeli attacks across the enclave over the past 24 hours.
The latest escalation comes amid renewed calls for a ceasefire and mounting international criticism of Israel’s actions.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas urged Hamas to release Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
However, Hamas has stated it will do so only in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal and a permanent cessation of hostilities, while rejecting Israel’s demand for its disarmament, calling it a “red line.”
Despite a month-long stalemate in ceasefire talks since Israel resumed its military offensive on March 18, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Doha remains actively engaged in mediation.
A Hamas delegation reportedly arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for discussions on a potential new truce framework.
Meanwhile, Israel’s ongoing blockade has continued to prevent humanitarian aid including food and medical supplies from entering Gaza for eight consecutive weeks.
In an unusually forceful joint statement, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom condemned the blockade, calling it “intolerable.” The European powers emphasized:
“Humanitarian aid must never be used as a political tool, and Palestinian territory must not be diminished or subjected to demographic changes. Under international law, Israel is obligated to ensure the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid.”
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 1,928 Palestinians have been killed since the resumption of Israeli attacks, bringing the overall death toll since the beginning of the war to over 51,300.