Deadly Israeli air strike leaves nearly 100 dead in northern Gaza

In a horrific incident earlier this week, nearly 100 people lost their lives after an Israeli air strike targeted a residential building in the northern Gaza Strip. According to Gaza's civil defence agency, a single missile hit a five-storey apartment block located in the town of Beit Lahia on Tuesday evening, reducing it to rubble and trapping many residents under the collapsed structure.

Emergency responders and local residents scrambled through the night to search for survivors among the debris but their efforts were hampered by the massive destruction. By Wednesday morning, the death toll had risen to 93 with around 40 people still unaccounted for. Most of the casualties are said to be women and children. Shocked family members could only stand by helplessly as rescue crews retrieved mangled bodies from the scene of the attack.

The Israeli military is currently engaged in a wide-ranging offensive dubbed “Breaking Dawn” aimed at rooting out remaining Hamas operatives in the Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia regions of northern Gaza. As part of these operations, both airstrikes and ground incursions have been conducted over the past three weeks. The actions have displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians and further escalated tensions in the volatile area.

In related developments, the Israeli parliament voted this week to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating within Israel and Palestinian territories. UNRWA has provided humanitarian aid, education and medical services to Palestinian refugees for decades. Critics say the move will deprive vulnerable communities of critical assistance and endanger peace efforts. It has drawn international condemnation.

The decisions have increased anger amongst Palestinians who are already reeling from the massive loss of life over the past month of fighting. With no end to the violence in sight, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate.