Gaza Escalation: Israeli Strikes Kill 90 Palestinians in 48 Hours/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Over 90 Palestinians have been killed in 48 hours of Israeli airstrikes, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The strikes hit humanitarian zones, worsening the crisis as Israel intensifies efforts to pressure Hamas. Aid agencies warn of severe malnutrition and medical shortages amid a six-week blockade.
Gaza Airstrikes and Humanitarian Crisis — Quick Look
- Death toll surpasses 90 in 48 hours, Gaza Health Ministry says.
- Strikes hit humanitarian zones, including Mwasi and Rafah.
- Children, women among the dead, hospital workers confirm.
- Funerals held in Khan Younis, families mourn publicly.
- Gaza blockade continues, limiting food, medicine, and aid.
- WHO urges U.S. to pressure Israel for access.
- Ambassador Huckabee visits Jerusalem, not Gaza, on first trip.
- UN warns of widespread malnutrition as food stocks vanish.
Deep Look: Israeli Airstrikes Escalate Crisis in Gaza
Deep Looks
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (April 19, 2025) —
More than 90 Palestinians have been killed in just two days of Israeli airstrikes, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as the humanitarian crisis in the territory deepens. Strikes have targeted both populated areas and those designated as humanitarian zones, including Mwasi and Rafah.
In the latest wave of attacks, 15 people were reported dead overnight, including women and children sheltering in areas marked by Israel as safe zones. At least 11 people were killed in a strike on Khan Younis — many of them inside a tent. A separate attack in Rafah killed four more, including a mother and daughter.
Heart-wrenching funeral scenes unfolded in Khan Younis on Saturday. Mourners sobbed over the bodies of their loved ones.
“Omar is gone … I wish it was me,” one grieving brother screamed at the burial site.
These deaths bring the total Palestinian death toll to over 51,000 since the war began on October 7, 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Most of those killed have been women and children, though the ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
The Israeli military says its intensified operations are aimed at pressuring Hamas to release remaining hostages and disarm. The offensive follows a deadly Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel in 2023 that killed approximately 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251 others.
In tandem with the bombardments, Israel has enforced a six-week blockade of Gaza, halting all imports of food, fuel, and medicine. According to the United Nations, the result is an unfolding catastrophe: thousands of children are severely malnourished, and most people in Gaza now survive on less than one meal per day.
Dr. Hanan Balkhy, regional head of the World Health Organization (WHO), called on the United States’ new ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, to use his influence to urge Israel to ease the blockade and allow critical aid to enter Gaza.
“I would wish for him to go in and see the situation firsthand,” Balkhy said Friday.
Ambassador Huckabee, however, made no mention of visiting Gaza during his first public appearance. Instead, he visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, where he inserted a handwritten prayer by President Donald Trump. Huckabee stated that the U.S. remains focused on securing the release of hostages still held by Hamas.
Israel’s military strategy has included the occupation of so-called “security zones” across Gaza. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain displaced — now living in tents, makeshift shelters, and the rubble of bombed-out buildings. The war has also decimated Gaza’s food production infrastructure.
International aid groups continue to warn that without immediate relief and access to humanitarian corridors, the situation could spiral further into famine and epidemic.
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