Several Palestinian citizens were killed and many, predominantly women and children, were injured on Sunday evening due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes in various areas of the Gaza Strip.
Medical sources and civil defense in Gaza reported that at least seven people were killed, and others were injured, as a result of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the Al-Hikr area in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Another three people were killed when they were targeted by a drone between the Saraya and Al-Tayaran junctions in central Gaza. Additionally, four individuals lost their lives in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Al-Rimal neighborhood.
For the 121st consecutive day, the Israeli occupation continues its aggression against Gaza, by land, sea, and air, resulting in over 27,365 fatalities, with the majority being women and children. Additionally, 66,630 have been wounded, and more than 8,000 remain missing under the rubble and in the streets, in an ongoing and unofficial tally.
Meanwhile, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, emphasized the critical importance of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as a lifeline for millions of Palestinians suffering from severe hunger and the spread of diseases. He called for an independent investigation into the allegations that led several donor countries to temporarily suspend their funding, underlining that withholding funds amounted to “collective punishment.”
Several countries had announced the suspension of their funding to UNRWA, jeopardizing the sustainability of life-saving services provided by UNRWA to millions of refugees in its five operational areas, particularly in Gaza.
UNRWA warned in a statement that the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is worsening, and the suspension of funding puts relief operations at risk, stating, “If funding remains suspended, we will likely have to halt our operations by the end of February.”
