Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Kill 60 Including 22 Children

Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday targeted multiple areas across the Gaza Strip, leaving at least 60 people dead, including 22 children, according to local medical authorities. The attacks followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s firm declaration that military operations would not be paused until Hamas is entirely dismantled.

The heaviest casualties occurred in Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, where 50 people were confirmed killed. Hospitals and health officials in the area reported that children made up nearly half of the fatalities. In the southern city of Khan Younis, the European Hospital recorded 10 additional deaths from separate strikes. Rescue operations continued into the night, with emergency teams using flashlights and handheld tools to retrieve bodies from collapsed buildings.

The escalation comes just one day after Hamas released an Israeli-American hostage, a development some observers believed might lead to renewed ceasefire negotiations. However, Netanyahu dismissed such prospects, stating that Israel’s campaign would persist regardless of any further hostage releases. His office announced that an intensified military push was imminent, aimed at completing the stated objective of defeating Hamas through expanded ground operations.

Humanitarian Conditions Worsen as Aid Blockade Persists

Since hostilities resumed following the October 2023 Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel that left 1,200 Israelis dead, Gaza has endured relentless bombardment. In the months since, over 52,800 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, but international reports indicate a high number of casualties among women and children.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the recent strikes but confirmed it had issued evacuation warnings to residents of Jabaliya late Tuesday, citing the presence of militant infrastructure, including rocket launch sites. Most of Gaza’s urban centers have suffered heavy destruction, and approximately 90 percent of the territory’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced—many more than once.

Amid this backdrop, international attention has turned sharply toward the deteriorating humanitarian situation. Nearly half a million Palestinians are at risk of famine, while an additional million face critical food shortages. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, which monitors global hunger emergencies, Gaza is nearing a full-scale famine unless the blockade is lifted and aid is allowed to resume.

Macron Condemns Israel’s Aid Restrictions, Calls for Immediate Relief

French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a forceful rebuke of Israel’s continued blockade of humanitarian assistance. Speaking during a national television broadcast, Macron described the situation as intolerable, noting that critical medical supplies, personnel, and evacuation routes remain inaccessible. He criticized the Israeli government’s restrictions as a major driver of the worsening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

Macron recently visited wounded Palestinian civilians at a hospital in El Arish, Egypt, and has called for immediate action to reopen Gaza’s borders for aid delivery. While endorsing efforts to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of hostages, he insisted that such objectives must be pursued alongside protections for civilians and pathways toward a political resolution.

Israel’s restrictions on the flow of food, medicine, and other essential supplies have remained in place for more than 10 weeks. With Gaza’s internal production systems severely impaired due to sustained military operations, the population remains almost entirely dependent on foreign aid for survival.

While there had been cautious optimism that U.S. President Donald Trump’s regional visit might facilitate a breakthrough on ceasefire talks or humanitarian access, no such development has materialized. Instead, both the military and humanitarian dimensions of the crisis appear to be intensifying, with no clear end in sight.