Israeli strikes kill 53 Palestinians in one day; 2 more die of hunger

At least 53 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours in Israeli attacks on the war-torn Gaza Strip, while two more died from starvation caused by Israel’s blockade.

According to a report by Al Jazeera on Monday (September 15), doctors confirmed that 35 of the victims were killed in Gaza City on Sunday. Gaza’s Health Ministry also reported that two others died from malnutrition, bringing the total number of hunger and malnutrition-related deaths since the start of the war to 422.

The report said northern Gaza shook with Israeli airstrikes on Sunday. Massive explosions in the Rimal and Tel al-Hawa neighborhoods destroyed more than 30 residential buildings, killing many people.

Local officials said thousands more residents have been displaced from the area, fleeing in search of safety.

Families are once again rushing south towards Al-Mawasi, which Israel has declared a “safe zone,” though repeated strikes have also targeted that area.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that 10 of their buildings in Gaza City were hit in just the past four days, including seven schools and two clinics where thousands of displaced people had taken shelter. He wrote, “There is no safe place in Gaza. No one is safe.”

Displaced resident Ahmed Awad said he fled northern Gaza during mortar attacks on Saturday.
“At midnight I found there was no water, no toilets, nothing. Families are sleeping under the open sky. The situation is catastrophic,” he said.

UNICEF warned that conditions in Al-Mawasi are deteriorating further each day. Spokesperson Tess Ingram told Al Jazeera, “There is nowhere safe in Gaza, not even this so-called humanitarian zone. Every day the camps grow more crowded.” She shared the story of a woman who was forced to give birth on the roadside after being displaced from Gaza City. Ingram added, “Thousands of families have arrived here, now struggling to meet even the most basic needs.”

Meanwhile, amid the ongoing conflict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Sunday. His visit will focus on ceasefire efforts in Gaza and the release of remaining hostages.

Israeli media reported that upon arrival, Rubio visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During the visit, Netanyahu said Rubio’s trip had made US-Israel relations “as strong and enduring as the stones of the Western Wall,” and described Rubio as an extraordinary friend of Israel.