Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza have pushed the death toll past 48,500, as ceasefire negotiations remain stalled.
A Palestinian was killed on Sunday after an Israeli drone strike targeted a group of people in the town of Juhr al-Dik, located in central Gaza. This attack brings the total death toll from the ongoing Israeli assault to 48,572.
Medical sources confirmed that the victim succumbed to injuries sustained in the strike, though no additional casualties were reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks heavily shelled the eastern areas of Abasan al-Kabira and al-Jadidah, near Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, according to eyewitnesses.
These developments come as indirect negotiations continue in Doha over the second phase of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. However, Israel has refused to move forward with this stage and continues its large-scale military campaign in Gaza.
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On Saturday, ten Palestinians—including nine charity workers and a child—were killed when Israeli forces targeted them in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza.
Ismail al-Thawabta, director of Gaza’s government media office, condemned the attack, calling it a “horrific and brutal massacre.” The charity workers had been providing humanitarian aid at shelters and displacement centers when they were struck.
Medical sources also reported that a child, Yamen al-Hamlawi, was fatally shot in the head, while a woman was hit in the back near the Palestine site in Beit Lahia.
Since the ceasefire agreement took effect on January 19, Israel has killed more than 150 Palestinians, including 40 in the past two weeks.
Rising Death Toll
On Sunday, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that the number of Palestinians killed since October 7, 2023, had reached 48,572, with 112,032 wounded.
Over the past 24 hours alone, Israeli attacks killed 29 Palestinians, including 15 bodies retrieved from under the rubble and 14 others killed in recent strikes. An additional 51 people were injured.
The ministry noted that many victims remain trapped under collapsed buildings and in the streets, as emergency teams struggle to reach them due to limited resources and equipment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to obstruct the second phase of negotiations, seeking to extend the initial phase of the exchange deal to secure the release of more Israeli captives without implementing previously agreed military and humanitarian measures.
Hamas, meanwhile, maintains its commitment to the agreement and urges mediators to push for the immediate start of the second phase.
Since October 7, 2023, with US support, Israel’s assault on Gaza has resulted in over 160,000 casualties, including thousands of children and women, with more than 14,000 people still missing.
(PC, AJA)
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