A Palestinian woman holds a child as they mourn their relatives killed in Israeli bombardment in front of the morgue of the Al-Shifa hospital in gaza City on March 15, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Doha, Qatar: At least 36 Palestinians have been killed after Israel struck a house in central Gaza, not far from the Nuseirat refugee camp, reports the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The government media office added that children and pregnant women were among the dead in the house.
Meanwhile, The UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, warns malnutrition has reached “unprecedented levels” in Gaza, with a third of children under the age of two now “acutely malnourished”.
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[3:14pm Doha Time] Gaza death toll rises to 31,553
The number of people killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the start of the war has risen to 31,553, the Health Ministry in Gaza says.
An additional 73,546 have been wounded, according to a statement by the ministry on X.
In the past 24 hours, 63 people have been killed and 112 wounded, it added.
[2:19pm Doha Time] Humanitarian situation in Gaza is ‘beyond catastrophic’
Jagan Chapagain, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, says civilians in Gaza are “facing an unprecedented level of indignity, misery and suffering”.
“The healthcare situation is on the brink of collapse with hospitals facing desperate conditions,” he said in a statement on X, adding that the humanitarian situation in the enclave is “beyond catastrophic”.
Chapagain also said that “an escalating food crisis exacerbates an already dire situation,” with countless people having nothing to break their fast with in Ramadan.
“The plight of [Israeli] hostages remains a serious humanitarian concern, leaving their families caught between despair and hope as they wait for news about their loved ones,” the IFRC chief added.
[2:13pm Doha Time} ‘Words can’t describe’ situation in Gaza: Doctors Without Borders
A staff member of the international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) has described the situation in northern Gaza, including the lack of food and medical supplies.
“The current situation in Gaza is catastrophic and words can’t describe it,” MSF nurse Loay Harb said, according to a post published by the organisation on X.
Harb, one of four staff members still working for MSF in the northern part of the enclave, said people have no water, flour, electricity and – at most times – no internet or mobile connection to communicate with the world.
Humanitarian organisations, including the UN, have repeatedly warned of the risk of famine in northern Gaza, an area that has not been reached by aid in weeks.
Harb said the clinic where he worked could only treat patients with severe burns and wounds with basic healthcare.
[1:49pm Doha Time] ‘Courageous’ global action needed to protect Gaza civilians: Palestinian Foreign Ministry
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has demanded “a courageous and humanitarian international position through a binding resolution in the UN Security Council to force the occupation to cease fire immediately”.
“The ceasefire is the only way to protect civilians and stop Netanyahu’s use of their lives as a card for blackmail,” it said on X.
[12:15pm Doha Time] Third of children under two are ‘acutely malnourished’ in Gaza: UNRWA
Palestinian children stare from a window in gaza City on March 15, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. (Photo by AFP)
The UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, warns malnutrition has reached “unprecedented levels” in Gaza, with a third of children under the age of two now “acutely malnourished”.
This is an increase of 15.6 percent from January, according to screenings conducted by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
???? 1 in 3 children under 2 years of age are now acutely malnourished in northern #Gaza.
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) March 16, 2024
Children's malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in #Gaza. Famine is looming. There is no time to waste.@UNICEF @UNICEFmena @unicefchief https://t.co/YbkEf2C9ay
[10:15am Doha Time] In Gaza, there are no more 'normal-sized babies': UN official
Palestinian children fetch water in Rafah in the southern gaza Strip on March 15, 2024. (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED / AFP)
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is a "nightmare" for mothers and babies, with doctors reporting small and sickly newborns, stillbirths, and women forced to undergo C-sections without adequate anesthesia, a UN official said Friday.
"I'm personally leaving Gaza this week terrified for the one million women and girls of Gaza... and most especially for the 180 women who are giving birth every single day," Dominic Allen, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) representative for the state of Palestine, said in a video news conference from Jerusalem. Read more
[9:00am Doha Time] Japan to deliver aid to Gaza through Mediterranean corridor
Japan will join the Mediterranean maritime corridor initiative to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza from the Republic of Cyprus, according to Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.
In remarks quoted by local media, the minister said the government plans to coordinate promptly with other related countries to deliver aid through the corridor.
The project was launched earlier in the week, mainly initiated by Cyprus, the US, the EU, and the United Arab Emirates.
“We will work promptly on the matter,” the top Japanese diplomat added.
[8:40am Doha Time] Children, pregnant women killed in Nuseirat attack: Gaza authorities
The government media office in Gaza says most of the 36 people killed in Friday’s Israeli army attack on a family home close to the Nuseirat refugee camp were children.
The media office added that pregnant women were among the dead in the house, which was located in the west of the camp located in central Gaza.
“We hold the American administration, the international community, and the [Israeli] occupation fully responsible for the escalation of these crimes and massacres against defenceless civilians,” the statement on Telegram said.
[5:40am Doha Time] At least 36 killed after Israeli bombing of house in central Gaza: Health Ministry
Palestinians transport the body of a relative killed in Israeli bombardment from the morgue of the Al-Shifa hospital in gaza City on March 15, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Reports are coming in that at least 36 Palestinians have been killed after Israel struck a house in central Gaza, not far from the Nuseirat refugee camp.
The territory’s Health Ministry says the bombing destroyed a family home and that children were among the dead.
