Gaza Strip, 26 June 2024– The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine has seen a significant escalation, with over 37,000 Palestinians reported killed in more than eight months of fighting. Among the tragic losses is the family of Ismail Haniya, head of the political bureau of Hamas, who lost 11 relatives in the latest Israeli airstrikes.

Israel recently launched a major offensive targeting the northern Gaza Strip, conducting three airstrikes in various parts of the city, including Haniya's family home. The strikes resulted in the death of Haniya's sister, Zahra, and ten other family members. Rescue workers transported the bodies to Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza.

Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza's emergency department, confirmed the fatalities and noted that some bodies remain buried under rubble due to insufficient equipment and infrastructure to retrieve them.

This tragic incident follows another airstrike in April, during which Haniya's three sons and three grandchildren were killed in Gaza's Al Shati refugee camp. Another son of Haniya was killed in February, and previous attacks had also claimed the lives of his brother and nephew. Haniya is currently in Doha, Qatar, after leading Hamas to a Qatar-brokered ceasefire with Israel.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with famine affecting more than 495,000 Palestinians. Israeli control has severely restricted the entry of relief trucks, leaving residents, including women and children, without food and essential supplies. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East reported that children are dying from malnutrition and dehydration due to the lack of food and clean water.

As the conflict continues with no signs of abating, the people of Gaza are facing increasing hardship and loss amid relentless airstrikes and blockades.