Israeli Airstrikes on Refugee Tents Kill At Least 40 Across Gaza, Heightening Humanitarian Crisis
A series of devastating strikes on civilian tent encampments has resulted in dozens of deaths - including women and children - as Israel intensifies military operations amid stalled ceasefire negotiations
Multiple Israeli airstrikes targeted civilian tent encampments across Gaza on Wednesday and Thursday, killing at least 40 Palestinians, most of them displaced people seeking shelter in designated "safe zones." The attacks, which set fire to numerous tents housing refugees, have provoked international condemnation and underscored the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the besieged territory.
Key Developments: Multiple Strikes on Civilian Encampments
The Hamas-run civil defense agency reported that Israeli missiles struck several tented areas housing displaced Palestinians, with the heaviest casualties in the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Two missiles hit tents there, killing at least 16 people, "most of them women and children," and wounding 23 others, according to civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal BBC News1.
"I rushed outside and saw the tent next to mine engulfed in flames," an eyewitness told the BBC's Gaza Lifeline program. "Women were running out, trying desperately to escape the fire. Many martyrs were lost in the fire and we were helpless to save them. It was heartbreaking to watch them die right in front of us."
In another devastating strike on Khan Younis early Thursday morning, a family of 10 was killed when their home was hit, according to medical sources Al Jazeera2.
Additional deadly strikes were reported in other areas:
- Seven people were killed in an attack on tents in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza
- At least seven members of the Asaliya family died in an airstrike in Jabalia
- Six people were killed at a school being used as a shelter in Jabalia
- A father and his child living in a tent near al-Mawasi were killed in another strike
The Israeli military stated it was investigating reports of the strikes, claiming that its operations had targeted "over 100 terror targets" in the past two days, including what it described as "terrorist cells, military structures and infrastructure sites" The Guardian3.
Global Reactions: International Outcry and Diplomatic Efforts
The latest round of strikes has prompted strong condemnation from international organizations and renewed calls for protection of civilians in the conflict.
Catherine Russell, executive director of the UN children's agency UNICEF, issued a stark statement: "Images of children burning while sheltering in makeshift tents should shake us all to our core" BBC News1.
The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned on Wednesday that "Gaza was becoming a mass grave for Palestinians." Amande Bazerolle, an MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza, reported that most patients arriving after the strikes were already dead, though some critically injured individuals were still being treated.
Diplomatic efforts to restore the collapsed ceasefire in Gaza continue through mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, but negotiations have repeatedly hit obstacles. Hamas officials told AFP on Thursday that the group's discussions on an Israeli truce proposal were nearly complete, with a formal response expected soon.
However, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has insisted that "no matter what deal was agreed, Israeli troops would remain in the buffer zones it had occupied in Gaza, as well as in neighbouring Syria and Lebanon" The Guardian3.
Expert Insights: Humanitarian System Near Collapse
Aid organizations have raised alarms about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, with the heads of 12 major aid organizations declaring that the system is "facing total collapse" and describing the situation as "one of the worst humanitarian failures of our generation."
The UN humanitarian office (OCHA) reports that virtually all of Gaza's more than 2 million residents now depend on approximately 1 million meals produced daily by charity kitchens supported by aid groups. Other food distribution programs have shut down due to lack of supplies.
"Most [people] cannot afford to buy there because of spiralling prices and widespread shortages, meaning humanitarian aid is the primary food source for 80% of the population," according to the World Food Program's April report on Gaza's markets The Guardian3.
Dr. Sarah Collinson, a humanitarian policy expert at the Overseas Development Institute, told our reporter: "The situation in Gaza represents an extraordinary failure of the international system to protect civilians in conflict. The targeting of areas where displaced people have sought refuge is particularly concerning under international humanitarian law."
Future Implications: Ceasefire Prospects Remain Uncertain
The latest violence occurs as Hamas and Israel appear to be inching toward potential ceasefire talks. Hamas said Israel had proposed a new 45-day ceasefire through mediators that would include the release of dozens of hostages. The proposal also called for Hamas to disarm to secure a complete end to the war, a demand the group has rejected.
Since Israel put Gaza under a complete blockade on March 1 and resumed full-scale military operations on March 18, Israeli attacks have killed 1,691 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The overall death toll since the war began stands at 51,065, the majority of them civilians.
About half a million Palestinians have been displaced by renewed Israeli evacuation orders, and Israel has incorporated 30% of Gaza into "security zones," further restricting civilian movement and humanitarian access.
The continuous targeting of areas designated for displaced people raises serious questions about the viability of "safe zones" in Gaza and underscores the urgent need for a sustainable ceasefire. Without significant diplomatic breakthroughs, will Gaza's civilians find any place of genuine safety as this conflict enters its nineteenth month?
