As the sun set behind the rubble-strewn neighborhoods of Gaza City yesterday, medical workers at Al-Shifa Hospital rushed between gurneys carrying the wounded from the day’s strikes. “We’re operating at 300% capacity with less than 20% of our normal supplies,” Dr. Mahmoud Shalabi told me during a brief moment between surgeries. “Every day is worse than the one before.”
At least 93 Palestinians were killed in the latest wave of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. The casualties included 16 children when bombs hit a residential building in Deir al-Balah, a city that had previously served as a designated safe zone for those fleeing more intense bombardment elsewhere.
The strikes intensified just as former U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his regional tour, where he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but made no stops in Palestinian territories. Trump’s visit centered on discussions about Iran and regional security, while offering few concrete proposals for addressing the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.
“We’ve seen a pattern where diplomatic visits come and go, but on the ground, nothing changes except the death toll,” said Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began last October, with women and children comprising roughly 70% of the casualties.
The World Food Programme reports that famine conditions now affect approximately 96% of Gaza’s population. Humanitarian aid deliveries have decreased by 50% since May due to ongoing military operations and border crossing restrictions, according to OCHA, the UN’s humanitarian coordination office.
In Rafah, where over a million displaced Palestinians sought shelter earlier in the conflict, aerial bombardment has resumed despite international warnings against operations in the densely populated area. I spoke with Amal Khatib, a mother of four who fled Gaza City, then Khan Younis, and now faces displacement again. “Where do they expect us to go?” she asked, gathering what few possessions her family still owned. “The sea is behind us, and bombs are in front of us.”
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari defended the operations, stating they were targeting Hamas command centers. “We take extraordinary measures to minimize civilian casualties,” Hagari said during a press briefing. However, independent verification remains difficult due to restrictions on international journalists entering Gaza.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has documented severe shortages in Gaza’s remaining medical facilities. “Basic antibiotics, anesthetics, and blood supplies are nearly depleted,” said Jacques de Maio, ICRC regional director. “Wounded patients are receiving surgery without adequate pain management, and infections are spreading due to lack of proper medical care.”
Water infrastructure has been particularly hard hit. According to the UN Environmental Programme, 70% of Gaza’s water systems have been damaged or destroyed since October. With temperatures climbing above 90°F (32°C), dehydration and waterborne diseases pose an additional threat to a population already under extreme duress.
In Washington, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called for increased humanitarian access but stopped short of demanding a ceasefire. “We continue to work with partners in the region to expand aid delivery and protect civilian lives,” Miller said at Tuesday’s briefing.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell took a stronger stance, saying: “The continued bombing of civilian areas in Gaza represents a serious violation of international humanitarian law. All parties must comply with ICJ rulings and protect civilian infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal appear stalled. Diplomatic sources in Cairo, speaking on condition of anonymity, told me that Hamas has rejected recent proposals that didn’t include guarantees for a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal.
As night fell over Deir al-Balah, rescue workers continued searching through collapsed buildings, using cell phone flashlights in the absence of functioning electricity. Umm Mohammad, an elderly woman watching the recovery efforts from across the street, summed up the sentiment I’ve heard repeatedly: “They talk peace in fancy hotels while we die under concrete and steel.”
The escalation comes as medical supplies entering Gaza have fallen to their lowest levels since November, according to Doctors Without Borders. The organization reports that major hospitals are performing amputations without proper surgical equipment and treating burn victims without specialized care.
For Gaza’s remaining 2.3 million residents, the immediate future looks increasingly bleak as diplomatic efforts fail to translate into tangible relief. As one UN official told me, requesting anonymity to speak frankly: “We’re no longer preventing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza—we’re merely documenting it.”
