The death toll from the Israeli offensive on Gaza has soared to 41,391, according to Palestinian medical sources, with the majority of victims being women and children.
Since the offensive began on October 7, the situation has deteriorated rapidly, with reports of 95,760 people injured, as confirmed by the Palestinian news agency “Wafa.”
Many bodies remain trapped under rubble, and thousands of casualties are still unaccounted for, highlighting the immense devastation caused by the conflict.
Israeli forces have reportedly carried out 12 massacres against families in Gaza over the past 72 hours alone. Hospitals in the region have received 119 bodies, and 209 people have been treated for injuries in that time frame.
The true toll of these attacks is likely even higher, as rescue teams face enormous challenges in reaching those trapped under collapsed buildings or lying in streets too dangerous to access.
This surge in violence is the latest escalation in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one of the world’s most entrenched disputes.
The conflict has roots in early 20th-century clashes between Jewish and Arab communities in the region, exacerbated by the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, which led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
Tensions have remained high ever since, with sporadic outbursts of violence, such as the wars in 2008, 2012, 2014, and the most recent conflicts in 2021.
The Gaza Strip, home to over 2 million Palestinians, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007 when Hamas, a Palestinian political and militant group, took control of the territory.
This blockade has severely limited access to essential goods and services, contributing to a dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. The repeated cycles of violence have left much of the territory in ruins, with ongoing challenges in health care, education, and infrastructure.
The current conflict is one of the deadliest escalations in recent years, ignited by tensions over contested religious sites in Jerusalem and ongoing Israeli settlement expansions in the West Bank.
Israeli airstrikes, targeting what it describes as Hamas military infrastructure, have led to significant civilian casualties, while Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into Israel, causing widespread damage and loss of life on both sides.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is rapidly worsening as civilian infrastructure crumbles under relentless bombardment.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, and medical supplies are running low. The United Nations has repeatedly called for ceasefires to allow aid deliveries and provide relief to the civilian population, but efforts have so far been unsuccessful.
International human rights organizations have condemned the violence, urging both Israel and Hamas to protect civilians and adhere to international law.
With thousands of people still missing, and ongoing airstrikes continuing to target Gaza, the toll on human lives and infrastructure is expected to rise. As rescue efforts continue under extremely difficult conditions, the true extent of the devastation remains unclear, with many fearing the worst is yet to come.
