Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed more than 90 people in the past 48 hours, Gaza's Health Ministry said on Saturday, amid a surge in attacks as Israeli forces attempt to pressure Hamas to release hostages and disarm. The fatalities include at least 15 people killed overnight, among them women and children, according to medical staff. Some victims were reportedly sheltering in areas designated by Israel as humanitarian zones. In the southern city of Khan Younis, 11 people were killed, including several in tents located in the Mwasi area, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge. Another four people were killed in separate strikes in Rafah, including a mother and her daughter, according to officials at the European Hospital. During a funeral in Khan Younis on Saturday, grief-stricken relatives wept over the bodies of their loved ones. "Omar is gone ... I wish it was me," screamed the brother of one of the victims. Israel has vowed to escalate military operations across Gaza, with plans to establish large "security zones" inside the territory. The enclave has now endured six weeks under a strict blockade, which has prevented food, medicine, and other vital supplies from entering. Aid groups have raised urgent concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian situation. According to the United Nations, most people in Gaza are surviving on one meal a day, and thousands of children are suffering from malnutrition. On Friday, Dr. Hanan Balkhy, regional director of the World Health Organization's eastern Mediterranean office, urged newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to press Israel to lift the blockade to allow lifesaving aid to reach civilians. "I would wish for him to go in and see the situation firsthand," she said. Ambassador Huckabee made his first public appearance on Friday by visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City. He inserted a prayer written by U.S. President Donald Trump and reiterated U.S. efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a cross-border assault on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting 251. Many hostages have since been released through ceasefire arrangements or prisoner swaps. Israel's military response has led to the deaths of over 51,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The war has devastated infrastructure, crippled food production, and displaced around 90% of Gaza's population, with hundreds of thousands now living in tents or bombed-out buildings. — Agencies
