Gaza City, August 17(HS):
Israel has sharply intensified its military campaign in Gaza City, with a drone strike on the courtyard of al-Ahli Arab Hospital killing seven people early Sunday morning (00:37 GMT, August 17), according to hospital sources. The attack came as Israel pushed forward with operations aimed at seizing northern Gaza and forcibly transferring over one million Palestinians to encampment zones in the south of the Strip.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that in the past 24 hours alone, 11 more Palestinians—among them children—have died from Israel-induced starvation, raising the total hunger-related death toll to 251, including 108 children. Concurrent Israeli air raids killed at least 31 Palestinians on Saturday, 14 of whom were searching for food, medical officials said.
Across Gaza City, heavy bombardments were reported in Zeitoun, Sabra, Remal, and Tuffah neighborhoods, leaving widespread destruction and fueling fears of mass displacement.
Meanwhile, unrest also spread to the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces launched raids in Tubas, Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Hebron, killing an 18-year-old in Ramallah’s al-Mughayyir village and setting fire to a house in Jenin’s Kafr Dan.
In Tel Aviv, thousands of Israelis rallied Saturday night, pressing their government to strike a deal for the release of captives still held in Gaza. Weekly protests, ongoing since October 2023, are now escalating toward a nationwide general strike.
The international fallout also deepened: a group of UN staffers, chaired by Andrew Gilmour, former UN assistant secretary-general for human rights, condemned the world’s muted response, calling Gaza “the cruellest and most extreme example of double standards in my lifetime” and warning of the collapse of international law.
This latest escalation underscores what UN officials now call a “nightmare of starvation and bombardment” for Palestinians, while Israel faces intensifying domestic protests demanding an end to the war.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
