International Desk, (EFE).- The Israeli military carried out over 150 airstrikes across the Gaza Strip in the past 72 hours, according to an Israeli Defense Forces official statement released Thursday.
The raids targeted what the IDF described as “terrorist cells, underground infrastructure, and military facilities used by combatants.”
The offensive, particularly intense in northern Gaza, left at least 105 Palestinians dead on Wednesday alone, according to medical sources. Among the casualties were women and children. Witnesses reported strikes on schools, a local market, and a restaurant.
The IDF said it took “numerous precautions to mitigate civilian harm” and confirmed that “two key Hamas operatives” were among those killed.
One of the slain militants was identified as Muhammad Rasmi Marzouq Barakeh, reportedly linked to the Oct. 7, 2023, abduction of Yaffa Adar, an Israeli hostage later released during a ceasefire.
Another strike in Deir al Balah killed Nasr Sobhi Ibrahim Jumaa, described as a senior Hamas commander responsible for rocket production. Hamas has not commented on the deaths of its fighters.
The latest escalation brings the overall Palestinian death toll to 52,760 since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas control.
UN condemns Israel’s humanitarian aid plan as “restrictive”
At the United Nations, officials criticized Israel’s recently proposed plan to control humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza.
“The information we’ve received appears designed to restrict aid down to the last calorie and grain of flour,” said Farhan Haw, deputy spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.
However, UN agencies argue the plan effectively forces Palestinian civilians to move southward by concentrating aid distribution points there.
“Israel seeks to dismantle the current aid system and impose new conditions through its military,” said Jens Laerke of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Humanitarian agencies say supplies inside Gaza are nearly depleted.
After nine weeks of a total aid blockade, the longest since the war began, “there is nothing left to distribute,” Laerke noted.
Pierre Krähenbühl, Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross, warned, “We are at the edge. In the coming days, we may run out of critical medical supplies.”
“If this is the future of warfare, we should all be terrified,” he added.
EU calls Gaza crisis ‘unsustainable’, urges end to blockade
In Warsaw, European Union foreign ministers held an informal meeting during which many described the situation in Gaza as “unsustainable.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, “The majority of EU member states believe the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is rapidly deteriorating and cannot continue.”
Kallas called on Israel to lift the blockade and ensure humanitarian access in line with international law.
“Aid must be allowed to reach civilians impartially, independently, and without delay,” she said, adding that the EU also demands the immediate release of Israeli hostages and a return to ceasefire negotiations.
Several EU countries, including Spain and Ireland, have called for a formal review of whether Israel is violating its partnership agreement with the EU by breaching international humanitarian law.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares emphasized that Europe must “speak out against starvation and forced displacement.”
He announced plans to push for a UN General Assembly resolution condemning the blockade and ing the unimpeded delivery of aid.
As the humanitarian toll continues to rise, international pressure on Israel is growing. “What we are witnessing is not only a military crisis but a moral one,” Krähenbühl said. “This cannot go on.” EFE
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