Israeli strikes kill 25 in Gaza as death toll surpasses 40,000

A family, including six children, have been killed in the central Gaza Strip, in the latest waves of Israel’s deadly attacks across the besieged Palestinian territory. At least 25 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Sunday. The parents and their six children were killed in Deir el-Balah […]

A family, including six children, have been killed in the central Gaza Strip, in the latest waves of Israel’s deadly attacks across the besieged Palestinian territory.

At least 25 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Sunday.

The parents and their six children were killed in Deir el-Balah in the central part of the Strip, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said.

The grandfather of the children said their mother worked for the United Nations.

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Mohammed Awad Khattab told Al Jazeera, “My daughter, together with her husband and six children, were sleeping peacefully at home in Deir al-Balah. They were taken by surprise, an Israeli missile landed over their heads. The entire house was flattened. They were all killed.

“My daughter has been struggling to have children for years. She had those children through IVF … What wrong did those innocent children do? Were they posing any danger to Israel? Were they carrying arms?” he asked. Doha-based broadcaster added that four of her children were twins and they have been lined up together to be buried in cemeteries in the town.  It described the Sunday morning scenes as ‘heartbreaking’ with dozens of bodies lined up in the morgue outside Al-Aqsa Hospital.

“There has been a remarkable surge in Israeli strikes in Deir el-Balah where Palestinians were told to seek refuge,” Al Jazeera reported.

Meanwhile, at least 82 civil defence personnel have been killed and over 720 others injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza since October 7 last year, the agency said.

The Israeli Army has routinely targeted the civil defence’s facilities and vehicles during its offensive on the Palestinian enclave, a statement by the agency said.

The European Union (EU) has issued a stark warning about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, highlighting that the past 10 months have seen a visible and severe deterioration in conditions.

In a joint statement, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management and Humanitarian Aid Janez Lenarcic, said 2023 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers, with fears that 2024 may follow a similarly tragic trajectory.

The statement, released ahead of Aug. 19 World Humanitarian Day, emphasised the critical role of humanitarian aid workers in conflict zones and the increasingly perilous conditions under which they operate.

Israel’s war on Gaza, now in its 317th day, has killed at least 40,099 Palestinians – mostly women and children – and wounded over 92,609 others, a conservative estimate, with 10,000+ estimated to be buried under debris of bombed homes.