Gaza bleeds: Over 51,300 killed as Israeli attacks intensify

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen
23 Apr 2025 14:49

The Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson decried the lack of the necessary "tools and equipment to carry out effective rescue operations or recover the bodies of martyrs."

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Palestinians mourn over the body of Kinan Edwan, 2 years old, killed in an Israeli army airstrike, during his funeral in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP)

Israeli occupation forces have intensified their genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip, killing 39 Palestinians and wounding 105 others in the past 24 hours, as relentless airstrikes and artillery shelling continue across the besieged territory.

Hospitals in Gaza reported that among the dead was one victim retrieved from under the rubble, with many more civilians still trapped in destroyed homes and streets, unreachable due to ongoing bombardment. The total death toll since October 7, 2023, has now reached 51,305, with 117,096 injured, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

Since March 18, 2025, Gaza has recorded 1,928 martyrs and 5,055 injuries, highlighting the sharp escalation of the ongoing Israeli genocide.

Targeting civilians, shelters

"Israel" continued to pound Gaza on Wednesday, with rescuers saying at least 18 people had been killed since dawn, including 11 in a strike on a school-turned-shelter for displaced people.

"The school was housing displaced people. The bombing sparked a massive blaze, and several charred bodies have since been recovered," they said, describing the attack on Yaffa school in the al-Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that Israeli warplanes and invading units continued their attacks on densely populated civilian areas. On Wednesday morning, an airstrike on the Shaaban family home in Jabalia al-Balad, northern Gaza, killed three Palestinians and wounded several others.

In northeastern Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike targeted the Yaffa School, which was sheltering displaced families, killing ten Palestinians, as per our correspondent.

Twin sisters Sana and Seba were murdered together last night when an Israeli regime airstrike destroyed their family home in Gaza.

Of course, there are no condensations and no sanctions from the collective West.#GazaHolocaust pic.twitter.com/qfgIlAwddP
— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) April 23, 2025

He further stressed that Civil Defense crews struggled to contain a fire ignited by the bombing.

Elsewhere in Gaza City, homes belonging to the al-Sharbasi and al-Jalees families in the al-Tuffah neighborhood were destroyed. Under dangerous conditions, rescue teams retrieved the bodies of four martyrs and pulled an injured woman from the debris, with more victims believed to be buried beneath the rubble, our correspondent reported.

Widespread destruction, siege

Israeli occupation forces also attacked Rafah, demolishing multiple homes, and killed a Palestinian in al-Mawasi, near Khan Younis. A forcibly displaced persons' tent in al-Mawasi was bombed, while quadcopter drones set fire to five more tents housing displaced families in al-Shujaiyah.

Israeli airstrikes further targeted the Al-Durra Children’s Hospital, destroying solar energy panels and damaging the intensive care unit. The Ministry of Health condemned the attack, stating, “Israel’s assault on Gaza’s children now aims to deprive them of life itself.”

“Did you eat the chips I bought you?”

A Palestinian father asked his child, who was killed in an Israeli strike, Gaza. pic.twitter.com/qvMpoOktrO
— Muhammad Smiry 🇵🇸 (@MuhammadSmiry) April 23, 2025

The Ministry of Health also reiterated its appeal to the concerned authorities to ensure the protection of medical facilities and to hold the occupation accountable for its violations against them.

Meanwhile, the ongoing siege has cut off Gaza from necessities. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that Israeli strikes have destroyed equipment needed to retrieve bodies and clear debris, compounding the trauma for families unable to recover their loved ones.

The Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson, Mahmoud Bassal, decried the lack of the necessary "tools and equipment to carry out effective rescue operations or recover the bodies of martyrs."

Additional attacks reported:

Injuries from an airstrike near Education Roundabout, east of Beit Lahia
Bombing near Hamza Mosque, al-Daraj neighborhood, central Gaza City
Six martyrs recovered from al-Nakheel Street, al-Tuffah
Three killed in a strike on the Hijazi family home, al-Tuffah

As Israeli occupation forces escalate their assault, the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorates further. With tens of thousands already killed, the world faces mounting pressure to intervene and hold "Israel" accountable for its ongoing war crimes.