Israel airstrikes cause record 24-hour death toll in Gaza, claims Hamas

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported on Tuesday that Israeli airstrikes had resulted in the highest 24-hour death toll in Israel’s officially declared two-week-old total siege of the small strip, killing more than 700 Palestinians in Hamas-run Gaza over the previous night.

On Tuesday, following two weeks of Israeli shelling, UN agencies implored “on our knees” for emergency aid to be granted free entry into Gaza, claiming that more than 20 times the amount of current deliveries were required to maintain the Palestinian population.

After a fatal cross-border raid on Israel on October 7, the Israeli military said it had struck over 400 Hamas militant sites and killed scores of the group’s fighters over the course of the night, but added that it would take time to completely dismantle Gaza’s ruling Islamist movement.

French President Emmanuel Macron came to Israel to offer assistance as international charity organisations warned of a humanitarian crisis developing in the small, impoverished strip, one of the world’s most densely populated areas.

Netanyahu was informed by Macron that while France stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Israel in its conflict with Hamas, it must not engage in “ruleless combat.” As it works to assure people “will no longer live under Hamas tyranny,” Netanyahu said Israel will attempt to protect civilians.

Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, asked for the protection of civilians in the conflict on Tuesday, expressing worry over “clear violations of international humanitarian law” in Gaza.

The World Health Organisation requested “an immediate humanitarian response” in the most recent of several frantic U.N. appeals.

More than 1.4 million Palestinians evacuated their homes for makeshift shelters as a result of Israel’s deadliest bombardment ever, according to doctors in Gaza, and many of those patients are now presenting with symptoms of diseases brought on by overcrowding and subpar hygiene.

Every hospital claims to be out of fuel for their electricity generators, which makes it harder for them to treat the sick and injured.

The bloodiest episode of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in decades appeared to have little chance of ending anytime soon.

According to the health ministry in Gaza, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 5,791 Palestinians since October 7, including 2,360 children. It reported that in just the preceding 24 hours, 704 people had died.

It was, according to ministry official Ashraf Al-Qidra, the biggest 24-hour death toll in the two weeks of Israeli airstrikes.

Israeli soldiers and tanks are gathered at the Gaza border, ready for orders to launch an anticipated ground invasion. Fears for the welfare of the captives and militants from Iran who have tunnelled into a densely populated urban area with heavy weapons could complicate the operation.

In reaction to a shocking cross-border Hamas attack into southern Israel, where terrorists massacred over 1,400 people in one day, predominantly civilians, the bombardments were launched.

(With agency inputs)