AT least 56 Palestinians have been killed and scores more sustained injuries in Israeli assaults across Gaza since Thursday morning, according to medical sources.
In Gaza City and Khan Younis, a minimum of 32 Palestinians lost their lives due to Israeli strikes. The central Gaza region saw Israeli airstrikes target a group of dwellings in the al-Bureij camp and the adjacent al-Nuseirat camp, both densely populated historic encampments.
In the northern sector, Israeli aircraft bombarded a residence in the heart of Gaza City, whilst another airstrike struck the southern city of Khan Younis, as reported by medical personnel.
Later on Thursday, the territory’s Civil Emergency Service disclosed that 15 Palestinians were killed and 30 wounded in Israeli bombardments of two schools east of Gaza City.
Activists and Palestinian media outlets documented numerous Palestinian families fleeing the eastern neighbourhoods of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
This exodus followed renewed forced displacement orders issued by the Israeli military, anticipating a potential military onslaught.
The displaced were directed to proceed to the so-called humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, an area previously subjected to lethal Israeli attacks.
In recent days, the Israeli bombing and shelling campaign has primarily focused on central and southern parts of Gaza.
On Thursday, throngs of Palestinians rushed to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to bid farewell to their slain relatives before carrying them away for burial.
Media footage captured relatives removing the bodies of their loved ones in plastic bags bearing names, and conducting special prayers prior to the funerals.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that casualties were transferred to the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City.
On Thursday, the World Central Kitchen (WCK), a US-based, non-governmental humanitarian agency, announced that a Palestinian staff member, Nadi Sallout, had been killed on Wednesday near Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza.
The WCK described Sallout as ‘an integral member of our warehouse team from the early days of our response in Rafah and a humanitarian at his very core’.
This tragedy follows an incident on 1 April when three Israeli airstrikes hit a convoy of aid vehicles traversing Gaza, resulting in the deaths of seven WCK staff, including citizens of the United States, Australia, Britain and Poland.
Since the commencement of the war on Gaza in October last year, nearly 39,700 Palestinians have been killed and over 91,000 wounded. The majority of the victims are women and children.
