Gaza suffers deadly Israeli airstrikes: Over 120 killed amid worsening humanitarian crisis
Latest bombardments leave dozens of civilians dead, including women and children in Gaza, prompting international outcry and urgent calls for a ceasefire.
According to local medical sources as of May 15, at least 120 people were killed in the Gaza Strip following a new round of Israeli air strikes. The airstrikes focused predominantly on Gaza City, Rafah, and Khan Younis resulting in hundreds more people injured and widespread destruction as rescue teams continued to sift and search through piles of rubble.
The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed that many of the dead were women and children, and called for international condemnation and calls for an end to the violence. One UN representative noted the continuation of this situation was described as “unsustainable” and has called for “further ways to to protect civilians,” and called for caution in a deteriorating humanitarian situation.
Israel Preparing for Ground Offensive and Displacement of Civilian Population
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the military is ready for a full-scale army incursion into Gaza to conclude its ongoing campaign against Hamas. Israeli officials also said they would consider making arrangements for civilian relocation from populated areas of the territory, which has stirred controversy since countries neighbouring Israel, namely Jordan and Egypt, have openly rejected proposals to take in mass displacements.
The resumption follows a two-month ceasefire that ended on March 18 as Israel recommitted itself to efforts to rescue the 57 hostages still being held captive by Hamas. Thus far in the ongoing fight against Hamas, at least 1,218 people have died in Israel, mostly civilians, and based on official figures and United Nations data, the death toll of Palestinians (which includes children and families) has claimed about 53,000.
Humanitarian crisis grows as blockade starves Gaza
Israeli ground forces have blocked humanitarian aid to Gaza since March 2, adding to the suffering of the enclave's 2.4 million residents. International NGOS including doctors without borders, doctors of the world, and Oxfam are reporting a “massive famine,” and have sounded the alarm about a critical shortage of food and medical supplies. Human Rights Watch has criticized the blockade for evolving from a military strategy into a "tool of extermination."
In response, the U.S.- backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announced plans to distribute 300 million food rations within the next 90 days. Meanwhile, violence has spiked in the occupied West Bank where a pregnant Israeli woman was shot and killed while she was en route to the hospital to give birth — further contributing to the overall instability in the region.
Petition at Inter-American Commission to stop genocide
A group of U.S. citizens calling themselves Taxpayers Against Genocide, has lodged a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington, D.C. The petition urges the Trump administration to meet its international obligations under the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man to prevent genocide occurring in Gaza.
""This legal action is meant to get the U.S. government to act according to international law and take action to protect vulnerable populations,"" according to lead counsel Huwaida Arraf. The case has now reinvigorated a debate in Washington over what role and responsibilities the US has for addressing the crisis as it continues to unfold.
