The death toll in Gaza continues to rise as Israeli airstrikes and ground operations intensify, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes amidst widespread destruction and critical shortages.

Medical sources reported that the death toll in Gaza had risen to 34 since Friday morning, while the Israeli army confirmed the expansion of its ground operation in the northern Gaza Strip.

Al-Jazeera reported that 10 Palestinians were killed by an Israeli bombardment targeting a house in the Al-Manara neighborhood, southeast of Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza. 

Additionally, three Palestinians were killed and others injured in an attack on a tent sheltering displaced persons in western Khan Yunis.

Israeli forces intensified their nighttime airstrikes on northern Rafah in southern Gaza and artillery shelling on the eastern outskirts of the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City.

A woman and her child were martyred in an Israeli artillery strike on displaced persons in Al-Shejaiya, east of Gaza City. #Gaza #AlShejaiya #IsraeliViolence pic.twitter.com/QQ5gmxpW4i

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 4, 2025

The director of the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza told Al-Jazeera that the situation is catastrophic, with the escalating massacres and the ongoing siege worsening the crisis. 

The hospital director urged for pressure on the opening of crossings to relieve the burden on the health system, highlighting the critical shortage of equipment—only one CT scanner is available in northern Gaza, where dozens are needed.

In Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike destroyed a water desalination plant in the al-Tuffah neighborhood, setting it on fire. 

The Government Media Office in Gaza reported that over 90% of the Strip’s population now lacks access to clean water, as more than 700 wells and desalination plants have been destroyed, leaving 75% of wells and plants out of service.

The director of Gaza’s Baptist hospital describes the situation as ‘catastrophic’ amid ongoing massacres. With only one CT scanner in northern Gaza, the health system is under immense pressure. Urgent calls for opening crossings to provide relief. #Gaza #HealthCrisis pic.twitter.com/xwBT1h1qsM

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 4, 2025

Expanding Operations

The Israeli army spokesperson stated that its ground operations in northern Gaza are being expanded, while Israel’s Channel 14 reported that military operations in Gaza will gradually deepen. Channel 12 confirmed that the 252nd Division’s operation in the Shujaiya neighborhood was supported by a large wave of airstrikes. Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the army is expanding the buffer zone along the Gaza border, with the 252nd Division operating near Shujaiya.

Thousands of Palestinians fled the Shujaiya and Zeitoun neighborhoods east of Gaza City on Thursday, following Israeli evacuation warnings. Families carried what little they could, seeking refuge in central and western areas of the city amidst severe shortages of transportation and fuel.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging an ongoing offensive in Gaza, resulting in more than 165,000 casualties, most of them women and children, with over 11,000 still missing, as the region faces an impending famine amid the siege.

(PC, AJA)