Gaza death toll nears 51,400 as IOF attacks kill 50 people in 24 hours
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Over 117,200 Palestinians were injured in the war on Gaza since October 2023.
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A relative kisses the body of Ahlam Seiam, who was just days away from her first birthday when she was killed by an overnight Israeli airstrike on her home, before her funeral in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP)
The Gaza death toll continues to climb amid relentless Israeli airstrikes, with the Ministry of Health in Gaza reporting 50 people killed and 152 injured in 24 hours alone. The bodies of two Palestinian martyrs were retrieved from beneath the rubble as bombardments struck various areas across the besieged enclave.
Since March 18, 2025, the Health Ministry has documented 1,978 killings and 5,207 injuries. The total death toll since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, has now reached 51,355, with 117,248 people injured.
Officials warn that many victims remain trapped under debris or in streets inaccessible to rescue teams due to the intensity of ongoing attacks.
Israeli airstrikes hit civilians across the Gaza Strip
Israeli occupation forces have intensified strikes across Gaza, targeting residential areas and infrastructure. Since dawn today, over 26 people have been killed, including 18 in Gaza City and the northern region, according to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent.
In northern Gaza, 10 Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded when Israeli warplanes bombed the old Jabalia police station. Further strikes near Beit Lahia Main Street have also resulted in significant casualties.
Al-Zaytun neighborhood in southeastern Gaza City was targeted, killing four civilians and injuring several others. The al-Tuffah and Sheikh Radwan neighborhoods also witnessed deadly Israeli assaults. In Sheikh Radwan, released Palestinian prisoner Ali al-Sarafiti, his wife, and four children were killed when their home was destroyed.
In central Gaza, one person was killed and others injured in a drone strike on Al-Baraka Street in Deir al-Balah. Additional injuries were reported following a strike on a soup kitchen serving forcibly displaced families in al-Zawayda.
Meanwhile, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported that Israeli invading forces are actively demolishing residential buildings in the northern part of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, as military operations intensify across the region.
Medical supplies exhausted amid growing casualties
The director of Gaza's Medical Relief warned that medical resources are critically depleted. "We have exhausted all medical supplies in our warehouses," he stated. "The occupation deliberately inflicts mass casualties, and we are working under extremely difficult conditions."
In a separate development, 12 former detainees were transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after being released through the Kissufim military checkpoint in central Gaza.
Meanwhile, harrowing Israeli airstrikes continue in the southern region, with bombings in Aabasan al-Kabira near Khan Younis and artillery shelling in northwest Rafah. Early this morning, a tent sheltering displaced families in al-Sawarah, Khan Younis, was also struck, adding to the growing number of casualties.
37 Gaza hospitals out of service
In a related development, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Thursday that Al-Durra Children's Hospital, located in eastern Gaza City, is now out of service following an Israeli airstrike that targeted the facility two days ago.
With this latest closure, the total number of hospitals no longer operational in the Gaza Strip has risen to 37, according to health officials, exacerbating an already critical medical crisis amid ongoing bombardments.
Over 90% of Gaza homes destroyed or damaged amid Israeli war: UN
More than 90% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported, as the ongoing Israeli aggression aggravates the humanitarian crisis in the enclave. The IOM cited data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in its report on Wednesday.
The IOM highlighted the scale of destruction, warning that civilians in Gaza are increasingly vulnerable with limited access to safe shelter.
"With nowhere safe to go, families shelter in unsafe ruins," the agency stated on the social media platform X.
The situation in Gaza has become critical, with vast areas reduced to rubble. The destruction has left the majority of the population displaced, relying on makeshift shelters or the remains of their homes.
IOM calls for urgent humanitarian access to Gaza
The UN migration agency emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian access to the besieged strip, noting that essential shelter aid is ready for deployment.
"IOM has shelter aid ready—entry points must open NOW," the organization urged.
Blocked entry points have prevented the delivery of critical supplies, including tents, construction materials, and other emergency relief needed to support displaced families.
As the genocide continues, the humanitarian toll on Gaza’s population grows. The IOM’s warning comes amid calls from international organizations for immediate action to allow the flow of aid into the region.
The ongoing destruction has intensified concerns about the safety and well-being of Palestinians, with the majority now lacking adequate housing, clean water, and medical services.
Read more: Germany, France, UK say 'Israel's' Gaza blockade 'must end'
