At least 44 Palestinians died in Israeli airstrikes Thursday, with 23 killed in a single hit on Al-Bureij camp, marking a deadly escalation.
As food warehouses are looted and aid routes falter, Gaza faces worsening chaos, hunger, and mounting civilian casualties amid stalled ceasefire talks and global outcry.
At least 44 Palestinians were killed in a fresh wave of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, as the conflict entered yet another deadly phase. According to local civil defense officials, the offensive included a devastating strike on a residential home in the densely populated Al-Bureij refugee camp, which alone claimed 23 lives. Gaza civil defense spokesperson Mohammad al-Mughayyir confirmed the figures and reported additional casualties from gunfire near an American aid center in the southern Morag axis.
This resurgence in violence coincides with a deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Just a day earlier, thousands of desperate civilians stormed a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Deir al-Balah, looting emergency food supplies. The chaos, captured on camera, showed gunfire echoing as people scrambled to seize what little food was available. The WFP described the scene as “hordes of hungry people” breaking into the Al-Ghafari warehouse to find food that had been pre-positioned for distribution.
Israel has stated that the current bombardment is part of a renewed military campaign targeting Hamas, which it holds responsible for initiating the war with the October 7, 2023, cross-border attack that left over 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 250 taken hostage. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed responsibility for striking “dozens of terror targets” throughout Gaza in the past 24 hours but said it was still investigating reports of civilian casualties, including the deadly incident in Al-Bureij.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an alternative aid distribution system launched in the southern region of Morag, has come under growing international scrutiny. Set up to bypass traditional UN-led distribution channels, the GHF has received harsh criticism from the United Nations and the European Union, who question its legitimacy and effectiveness. Israel, however, defends the GHF initiative, claiming it helps prevent aid from being misappropriated by Hamas operatives.
Yet, residents like Sobhi Areef, who visited the GHF center on Thursday, painted a grim picture of what accessing food looks like on the ground. “What is happening to us is degrading. We risk our lives just to get a bag of flour,” he said. Witnesses at the scene described harrowing conditions where only the strong could survive the chaos and navigate the crowds to receive aid. “The young men are the ones getting food. Women and the elderly are being left behind,” lamented 60-year-old Abu Fawzi Faroukh.
Amidst accusations of “systematic starvation tactics,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas held a call with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday to discuss the worsening conditions in Gaza. Safadi condemned the Israeli approach, urging for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access.
As the conflict now extends into its 18th month, the human toll continues to mount. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reports that since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, at least 3,986 people have been killed. The overall death toll now exceeds 54,000, with the vast majority being civilians, including women and children.
Despite repeated calls for a ceasefire from international bodies and humanitarian organizations, diplomatic progress remains elusive. The situation grows more dire by the day, with one in five Gazans at risk of starvation, according to food security experts. Aid entering through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing remains limited, and conditions on the ground for civilians worsen with every passing hour.
The renewed Israeli strikes and the collapse of food distribution networks mark a critical juncture in Gaza’s crisis one where military escalation and humanitarian emergency are dangerously intertwined. Without immediate international intervention and the establishment of a sustained humanitarian corridor, the already catastrophic situation threatens to spiral beyond control.
