Gaza Herald – Israel’s war on Gaza entered its 701st day on Saturday with relentless air and artillery strikes that killed displaced families and starving civilians. The assault, carried out with full U.S. backing, has drawn sharp criticism for what Palestinian officials call an ongoing campaign of genocide, while the international community remains largely silent.
Hospital sources confirmed multiple deaths across the Gaza Strip. Four people were killed in an Israeli strike on al-Tuwam, north of Gaza City, while another body was recovered in al-Zeitoun in the southeast. In Khan Younis, Khalil Abdel-Salam Abu Mutlaq was shot dead when Israeli forces opened fire on tents sheltering displaced families in al-Mawasi. At least three more people were killed and several wounded in Israeli attacks on the al-Teenah area.
Civil defense teams reported a child was killed and others wounded after artillery struck a residential building near Sheikh Radwan Bridge. Another child, Khadija Tamraz, succumbed to wounds sustained in an earlier strike on her home in Deir al-Balah, where her parents were also killed. Her sister was the only survivor.
The Israeli military also carried out helicopter and drone attacks across Gaza City, including al-Nafaq Street, al-Zeitoun, al-Shuja’iya, and the al-Shati refugee camp, where five people, including a child, were killed. In Sheikh Radwan, Israeli forces used explosive-laden robots to demolish civilian homes.
Soaring Civilian Toll
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, the war has killed at least 64,300 Palestinians and injured more than 162,000 since it began. Over 10,000 remain missing under the rubble. Famine has added another 373 deaths, most of them children.
The majority of victims are women and children. More than 20,000 children and 12,500 women have been killed, including nearly 9,000 mothers. At least 1,000 infants have died, 450 of them born during the war. Nearly 2,500 families have been completely wiped out from Gaza’s civil registry.
Collapse of the Ceasefire and Aid Trap Deaths
Since Israel ended a short-lived ceasefire on March 18, 2025, over 11,700 people have been killed. In addition, more than 2,360 civilians have died since May 27, when Israeli forces began targeting Palestinians at aid distribution sites. Palestinian officials accuse Israel of using the Israeli-American backed “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” as cover to turn food deliveries into deadly ambushes.
Targeting of Professionals and Infrastructure
The war has also claimed the lives of 1,670 medical staff, 248 journalists, 139 civil defense workers, and 780 aid police officers. More than 88% of Gaza’s buildings have been destroyed, causing an estimated $62 billion in losses.
At least 149 schools and universities have been leveled, along with 828 mosques and 19 cemeteries. Israel now controls nearly 77% of Gaza’s territory, displacing more than two million people into overcrowded shelters.
An Ongoing Genocide
Palestinian officials and human rights groups stress that the scale of civilian deaths, widespread famine, and destruction of infrastructure point to a deliberate campaign of extermination. Observers warn that without urgent international intervention, Gaza faces further catastrophe.
