26 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, famine spreads in Gaza

Wave of Israeli air and drone attacks kill children, doctors and civilians across Gaza amid rising global outrage

GAZA, Palestine (MNTV) – At least 26 Palestinians have been killed and 60 wounded in a fresh wave of Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip since early Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The deadly bombardment, which struck densely populated areas across the enclave, comes amid a complete blockade on humanitarian aid and mounting fears of mass starvation.

The southern city of Khan Younis witnessed one of the most horrific scenes, with 11 people reportedly burned alive in an Israeli airstrike that set buildings ablaze. Emergency workers said entire families were trapped under rubble, and many of the dead could not be immediately identified due to severe burns.

Two separate Israeli air assaults in central Gaza—targeting Nuseirat refugee camp and the city of Deir al-Balah—left four civilians dead, including two young girls and a local physician, as confirmed by medical sources speaking to Palestine’s Wafa news agency.

In the north, an Israeli drone strike on the crowded Jabalia refugee camp killed five more, according to local broadcaster Al-Aqsa radio.

Explosions were also heard across several neighborhoods in Gaza City and the central sector, as Israeli artillery shelling and demolition operations reportedly destroyed more homes and public infrastructure.

Dozens of civilians have been displaced yet again, many forced to sleep in the open with no access to clean water or food.

While Israel’s military operations continue, Gaza’s civilian population—already exhausted by 18 months of war—faces a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis. The Health Ministry has warned that hospitals are in a state of total collapse.

With crossings shut since March 2, Gaza is cut off from life-saving aid, medicine, fuel and food.

Doctors across the enclave are unable to perform surgeries or treat chronic and emergency conditions due to the depletion of anesthetics, antibiotics, dialysis kits, and basic wound care supplies.

Many cancer patients, diabetics, and dialysis-dependent patients are said to be dying slowly due to lack of treatment.

In parallel, mass hunger is engulfing Gaza, with multiple UN agencies warning of “catastrophic food insecurity.”

According to Government Media Office director Ismail Thawabteh, over 2.4 million residents—90% of the population—now rely entirely on food assistance, which has almost ceased.

“International food programs have halted operations, bakeries have stopped functioning, and parts of Gaza are already in famine,” Thawabteh said in a statement.

Dozens of bakeries are closed, fuel for ovens is exhausted, and even mobile bakery trucks, once used to reach displaced populations, are now non-functional.

Fabricated tunnels

In a stunning development, Israel’s own public broadcaster KAN has reported that the Israeli military fabricated the discovery of a tunnel along the Philadelphi Corridor—an area along Gaza’s border with Egypt that has become a focal point of military interest.

Last August, the Israeli military announced with fanfare the discovery of a “deep underground tunnel” allegedly used by Hamas fighters to smuggle weapons.

However, KAN’s investigative report now reveals that the structure was merely a shallow canal covered with dirt—not a tunnel at all.

According to KAN, the misrepresentation was deliberate and aimed at stalling ceasefire negotiations and delaying a possible hostage-prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

Former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant admitted that the site was “only one metre deep” and acknowledged that it had been presented to the public as a deep tunnel to justify continued military operations.

“The purpose was to exaggerate the strategic value of the Philadelphi Corridor and justify prolonging the war,” Gallant was quoted as saying.

Experts say the fabricated tunnel story may have contributed to thousands more deaths by obstructing peace efforts and sustaining international support for military operations.

Since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign in October 2023, the official death toll in Gaza has climbed to at least 51,266, with 116,991 wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The Gaza Government Media Office estimates the real death toll is over 61,700, as thousands remain trapped and unaccounted for under debris.

Gaza’s population is overwhelmingly civilian, and the majority of those killed are reported to be women and children.

Mass graves, hastily dug due to constant airstrikes, have become a grim symbol of the crisis.

International legal bodies have taken unprecedented steps.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Simultaneously, Israel is being tried for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), based on a case brought by South Africa.

In January, the ICJ ordered Israel to prevent genocidal acts and ensure humanitarian access to Gaza—but stopped short of demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Many international legal experts argue that the ruling placed Israel under a binding legal obligation to avoid mass civilian casualties and to allow aid into the territory—orders that critics say have been brazenly ignored.