For the sixth consecutive day, Israel’s relentless military assault on Gaza has claimed hundreds of lives, pushing the total death toll since October 7, 2023, to over 50,000. This renewed aggression, a blatant violation of the January 19, 2025 ceasefire agreement, has sparked widespread condemnation from humanitarian organisations and local authorities.  

In a series of devastating airstrikes across Rafah, Khan Yunis, and southern Gaza, Israeli forces targeted civilian homes, ambulances, and critical infrastructure, killing at least 634 Palestinians and injuring 1,172 since Tuesday, March 18. Among the victims were countless children, women, and elderly civilians, with many still trapped under rubble or denied medical care due to ongoing attacks on emergency responders.  

Early Sunday morning, Israeli warplanes bombed multiple locations, including Rafah’s Barakat area and Khan Yunis’ Al-Mawasi region. Among the dead were prominent Hamas leader Dr. Salah al-Bardawil and his wife, Hanan, killed while he was performing night prayers during Ramadan. Hamas denounced the attack as a “treacherous Zionist assassination.”  

Medical sources described harrowing scenes, including the bombing of a sewage truck in Abasan al-Kabira, which killed three and injured several others. Ambulance crews attempting rescues faced dire conditions, with Israeli forces besieging four ambulances and severing contact with paramedics in the Barakasat area. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed that some of its teams remain trapped and unreachable after being targeted in Hashashin, Rafah.  

Entire families, including the Ashour and Shaat households, were wiped out in separate attacks in Rafah. The Civil Defence agency reported losing contact with rescue workers as they tried to reach survivors in bombed areas such as Al-Junaina and Al-Fakhari. Refugee camps like Al-Bureij in central Gaza have also come under fire, leaving dozens injured.  

Gaza’s Ministry of Health described the situation as catastrophic, with thousands of bodies still buried under rubble and streets littered with casualties. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli aggression has resulted in more than 50,000 deaths and 113,213 injuries—a grim milestone highlighting the scale of human suffering.  

Despite growing international calls for restraint, Israeli forces continue their incursions into densely populated areas, issuing evacuation orders and intensifying airstrikes. Humanitarian groups warn that the blockade and targeting of essential services amount to collective punishment, further exacerbating the crisis.  

As the world watches in horror, Gaza’s resilience is tested daily amid what witnesses describe as indiscriminate violence and a systemic disregard for civilian lives. With no signs of de-escalation, fears grow that the conflict will deepen the humanitarian catastrophe gripping the region.