A weekend of indiscriminate Israeli military attacks on schools, hospitals, refugee camps, and other shelters across Gaza pushed the death toll in the current conflict past 45,000, according to numbers reported by WAFA, the Palestinian news agency. At least 36 people were killed in a devastating strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp, described by the Gaza Media Office as a “barbaric and heinous massacre.” The camp lies within a residential area surrounded by apartment buildings, resulting in tragic consequences for civilians.
Photographs from the aftermath revealed young children stumbling through the twisted metal and concrete debris of collapsed buildings, dust and blood caking their bodies. Another airstrike targeted the Majda Wasilla school in Gaza City Saturday, claiming the lives of at least seven individuals. Among the casualties was a young mother and her two-day-old baby. Eyewitness Ataf Saadat shared her harrowing account with Al Jazeera: “There were those who were burned, and those who were cut up, and the rubble was on top of them.”
The violence continued with Israeli soldiers storming yet another school sheltering displaced families, located in the northern Gaza city of Beit Hanoun. This attack resulted in 15 casualties, including a family of four, who were reportedly cut down by direct artillery fire within the classroom. Local reports indicated the wounded had no access to medical treatment due to the destruction of all hospitals in Beit Hanoun. The healthcare infrastructure is already critically limited, with over 1,000 medical workers having perished due to the violence, including Dr. Saeed Jouda, who succumbed to injuries sustained when he was attacked by Israeli forces.
The weekend was marked by rampant killings, totaling at least another 52 fatalities across the Gaza Strip, especially high in Beit Lahiya. Among the deceased were three journalists, including Mohammed Jabr al-Qriwani, who was killed with his family during an attack aimed at the Nuseirat refugee camp, and Mohammed Balousha, who was targeted after reporting on Israeli military actions. Al Jazeera also reported the death of Ahmed al-Louh, its video journalist, who was wearing his press vest at the time of his death. The network condemned what they described as the systematic killing of journalists.
The International Federation of Journalists notes with alarm the number of journalists killed; it reports at least 196 Palestinian journalists have died since the violence began, making Gaza the deadliest place for media personnel worldwide. The organization highlighted the urgent need for international legal measures to protect journalistic integrity and safety amid the conflict.
The Gaza Health Ministry has now recorded the death toll at 45,028, with injuries climbing to more than 106,962. The majority of victims continue to be children and women, with estimates believed to be much higher due to the number of bodies unrecovered from the rubble. Previous studies, including one published by The Lancet medical journal, estimated indirect deaths could raise this number to as high as 186,000.
U.S. political responses to the situation remain divided. With Donald Trump poised for a potential return to the White House, advocates for Palestinian rights, such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib, continue to push against American military support for Israel. The Biden administration has come under fire for sending billions to the Israeli military, prompting Tlaib to describe the situation as “disturbing” and calling for serious reconsideration of military funding priorities.
Tlaib’s recent address included references to Amnesty International’s report asserting Israel's genocidal actions against Palestinians. She highlighted the hypocrisy within Congress where funds for war are abundant whereas social welfare programs struggle to get support. Tlaib also introduced the “Stop Politicians Profiting from War Act,” aiming to prevent lawmakers from benefitting financially from military engagements.
Despite the dire situation, calls for peace and solutions are becoming increasingly urgent. The ‘fire and forget’ approach of military support continues to elicit frustration among peace advocates. Many survivors within Gaza have voiced their despair, having witnessed their communities and families decimated by violence.
With military actions showing no signs of abatement, and international mediation efforts stalled, the humanitarian crisis continues to deepen. The war initiated by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 resulted not only in significant Israeli casualties but has led to unparalleled suffering among Gazan civilians. It marks one of the most catastrophic moments and human rights crises of our time, one from which the region may take generations to recover.
