Israeli assault on Gaza City intensifies; death toll surpasses 61,800

Israel has intensified its military operations across the Gaza Strip, with airstrikes, drone attacks, and artillery shelling targeting densely populated residential areas in the north and south, including Gaza City, the territory’s largest city.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are reportedly attempting to fully capture the city amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis, reports Al Jazeera.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 44 Palestinians were killed and 369 injured on Friday (August 15) alone. Since the conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, the death toll has reached 61,827, with at least 155,275 people injured. Meanwhile, the famine-stricken enclave has reported 240 starvation-related deaths, including 107 children.

Bombings and shelling continue unabated in East Zaytun, Sabra, and other neighbourhoods, with over 300 homes destroyed in Zaytun in just three days. Residents say schools, government buildings, and hospitals have also been hit, describing the attacks as systematic and targeted.

Israeli strikes have also affected Rafah, Khan Yunis, Jabalia, Beit Lahia, Beit Hanoun, and Deir el-Balah. Al-Shifa Hospital reported that eight people were killed at two aid centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation while seeking food, and more than a hundred others were injured. Since May 27, 1,897 Palestinians have been killed and 13,963 injured while collecting aid, according to the Health Ministry. The UN human rights office reports at least 1,760 deaths in similar circumstances.

Turkish news agency Anadolu reported the bombing of a house in the Buraiz refugee camp, killing six members of one family, including four children. Other airstrikes have struck Al-Mawasi shelter near Khan Yunis and Al-Aqsa and Al-Shifa hospitals in Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis, causing multiple fatalities.

Humanitarian groups have warned that the forced displacement orders and relentless military operations have put over one million Gaza residents, including refugees, at severe risk, with many choosing to stay in their homes despite the danger.