Israeli strikes kill 84 Palestinians in Gaza as death toll surpasses 52,000
By Elham Asaad Buaras
London (The Muslim News): At least 84 Palestinians were killed, 125 others injured, in a series of pre-dawn Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, as the death toll from Israel’s ongoing offensive topped 52,928. Number of wounded since October rose to 119,846
The ministry confirmed dozens more were wounded in the latest wave of bombardments targeting multiple areas of the besieged territory. The heaviest casualties were reported in northern Gaza, where 50 people were killed, Al Jazeera reported.
Palestinian news agency WAFA said emergency teams were struggling to retrieve bodies from the rubble, hampered by dwindling resources and relentless strikes.
Medical sources told Anadolu Agency that five additional civilians were killed in separate attacks on a gathering in Gaza City and a home in Khan Younis in the south.
Among the dead were a man, his wife, and their two daughters, killed when an Israeli strike hit their tent in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
Another 10 were killed in an attack on a home in the nearby Al-Fukhari district, according to Al-Aqsa Radio.
ICC warrants and mounting international criticism
In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
International condemnation of Israeli actions continues to grow.
On Wednesday, the British Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, addressed the House of Commons, condemning Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid. “Israel has the obligation to implement the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice,” said Falconer. “Tonnes of food are currently rotting at the Gaza-Israel border, blocked from reaching people who are starving. This is cruel and indefensible.”
Falconer accused Israeli ministers of deliberately using aid as a “pressure lever,” adding: “Overnight, yet more Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes. This must end.”
Falconer reaffirmed the UK’s support for the ICJ’s provisional measures in the genocide case brought by South Africa.
Meanwhile, Russia, China, and the UK have rejected a US-Israeli proposal for managing aid distribution, instead calling for an immediate end to Israel’s two-month blockade on Gaza.
UN peacekeepers targeted in Lebanon
In Lebanon, tensions are also rising. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that Israeli fire directly struck the perimeter of one of its positions on Tuesday—the first such incident since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on 27 November 2024.
UNIFIL expressed “deep concern” over what it described as an escalation in Israeli military aggression near the Blue Line. The mission documented at least four recent incidents involving Israeli fire near UN positions.
In one case, UN peacekeepers patrolling alongside the Lebanese army near Maroun al-Ras were targeted by a laser from an Israeli military post.
On May 7, two Israeli Merkava tanks aimed lasers at a UNIFIL patrol near Alma ash-Shaab. As the patrol withdrew, it was followed closely by a drone for about a kilometre. An aerial vehicle also repeatedly flew over a UN position east of Houla, violating the mission’s operational security.
UNIFIL condemned the incidents, reminding all parties of their obligation under international law to ensure the safety of UN personnel and facilities.
Despite the fragile ceasefire, Lebanese officials report nearly 3,000 Israeli violations since November, resulting in almost 200 deaths and around 500 injuries.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel was to withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26, but after failing to comply, the deadline was extended to February 18. Israeli forces continue to occupy five border outposts.
[Photo: Relatives mourn the loss of loved ones killed in Israeli attack on a building of Palestinian Najjar family as bodies including children are brought to Indonesian Hospital before burial in Jabalia, Gaza on May 14, 2025. Photojournalist: Abdalhkem Abu Riash/AA]
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