Dozens of Palestinian civilians were martyred and others were injured between the late hours of Thursday and early Friday in Israeli airstrikes on the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

At least four civilians, including children, were killed, and others were injured in the occupation's bombardment of the Abu Nasr family home in the western camp west of Khan Younis. The injured were transferred to Al-Nasr Hospital in the city.

Furthermore, the occupation's artillery shelling on several neighborhoods in the city of Khan Younis resulted in dozens of martyrs and injuries.

In Rafah, Israeli war jets bombed a residential block near the Kuwaiti Hospital, resulting in dozens of martyrs and injuries, who were transferred to the Al-Najjar Hospital in the city.

Read more: IOF turned Gaza into children's biggest graveyard: Euro-Med Monitor

Israelis also bombed residential areas and homes in Deir al-Balah, Gaza City, Al-Nuseirat, and Jabalia. The strikes resulted in tens of injuries. The occupation also forced medical staff, patients, and journalists to evacuate the Martyrs of Jabalia Medical Center.

In a related context, the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education confirmed the martyrdom of 3714 students and the injury of 5700 since the beginning of the war on Gaza and the aggression on the occupied West Bank on October 7.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported the martyrdom of 300 health workers and the destruction of 102 ambulances in Israeli strikes. Additionally, the occupation targeted 381 health institutions, putting 22 hospitals and 52 health centers out of service.

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Moreover, as of December 10, World Health Organization (WHO) data revealed that 11 of the remaining hospitals in Gaza are operating partially, and four are minimally operational.

In its latest report earlier this week, the health ministry said that the number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli war has risen to 18,787 martyrs and 50,897 injuries. However, it emphasized that a significant number of victims remain under the rubble and in the streets.

Diseases spreading throughout Gaza with a collapsed health sector

Since the temporary pause expired on December 1, hundreds of thousands of Gazans were forcibly displaced and moved to makeshift shelters, including abandoned buildings, schools, and tents. Many others are sleeping outdoors with limited access to toilets or bathing water, as noted by aid workers.

According to the ministry, its teams have recorded 327,000 cases of infectious diseases that reached the health centers from the shelters.

Diseases pose a new threat to Gazans as the health situation in the southern Gaza Strip has reached a catastrophic state. Hundreds of thousands of traumatized people, grappling with the scarcity of food, clean water, and adequate shelter, are vulnerable to epidemics in the besieged Strip.

Read more: UNRWA warns of Hepatitis A outbreak in Gaza amid Israeli aggression

With the healthcare system severely strained, 10 medical professionals and aid workers said, as quoted by Reuters, the likelihood of widespread diseases is inevitable.

From November 29 to December 10, reported cases of diarrhea in children under five surged by 66% to reach 59,895, while the same period saw a 55% increase in cases for the general population, as per data from the WHO.

The United Nations agency acknowledged that these figures were unavoidably incomplete due to the breakdown of systems and services in Gaza resulting from the brutal Israeli aggression.

#Gaza is grappling with a health emergency exacerbated by cold weather, overcrowded shelters, scarce food, and contaminated water which has resulted in a surge of infectious diseases. The dire situation has overwhelmed hospitals, leaving the sick with limited treatment options.… pic.twitter.com/JY8O5Unwuo

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 14, 2023