Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Kill Seven, Including Three Children, Amid Severe Humanitarian Crisis

Seven Palestinians, including three children, were killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip on May 10, 2025. The strikes targeted residential and humanitarian areas amid a blockade that has severely restricted access to food, medicine, and clean water for Gaza's 2.3 million residents. The blockade, in place since March 2025, has led to a humanitarian crisis, with hospitals running out of essential medications. The United Nations has condemned the situation, warning that the blockade and military actions could constitute war crimes under international law.

Targeted Strikes Kill Civilians in Gaza City and Rafah

According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli warplanes bombed a tent in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City early Saturday morning, killing five members of the Tlaib family. Among the dead were three children, their mother, and her husband. The family had been sheltering in the tent when it was struck without warning.

“Three children, their mother and her husband were sleeping inside a tent and were bombed by an [Israeli] occupation aircraft,” said Omar Abu al-Kass, the children’s maternal grandfather, in a statement to AFP. “The strikes came without warning and without having done anything wrong.”

In a separate incident, a drone strike in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City killed one person. Further south, Israeli naval forces opened heavy fire on the shores of Rafah, killing a man identified as Mohammed Saeed al-Bardawil. Two additional civilians were injured in an attack on the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone, west of Rafah.

Rising Casualties Amid Escalating Violence

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 23 Palestinians were killed and 124 others injured in Israeli attacks across the enclave in the past 24 hours. These latest casualties add to the staggering toll of the ongoing conflict, which has seen tens of thousands of deaths since October 2023.

As of August 31, 2024, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported 40,691 confirmed fatalities, with 34,344 identified by name. Among them, 51% were women and children. A peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet in January 2025 estimated that the actual death toll from traumatic injuries could exceed 70,000, suggesting significant underreporting by official sources.

Humanitarian Collapse Under Israeli Blockade

The attacks come amid a complete Israeli blockade on Gaza that has been in place since March 2, 2025. The blockade has halted the entry of all goods, including food, fuel, and medical supplies, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.

“There’s barely food,” reported Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. “We’re talking about bakeries not operating, zero distribution points, and only a few hot meal kitchens still functioning.” She described scenes of desperate residents queuing for hours, often leaving empty-handed as kitchens stretch food meant for 100 people to feed up to 2,000.

The United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued a stark warning on Friday: “Children are starving, and dying. Community kitchens are shutting down. Clean water is running out.”

Medical Crisis: Treatable Illnesses Now Life-Threatening

The blockade has also devastated Gaza’s healthcare system. Hospitals are running out of essential medications, and patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune diseases are unable to access life-saving treatments.

“Doctors here say the tragedy is not in what’s happening, but in what is preventable,” said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City. He spoke with the father of a 10-year-old boy with diabetes who has been unable to find insulin. “I spend entire days searching pharmacies, hoping to find it,” the father said.

Said al-Soudy, head of emergency at Al Helou International Hospital, confirmed that many patients are deteriorating rapidly due to the lack of medication. Pharmacist Rana Alsamak added that drugs for multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, and other chronic conditions are no longer available.

International Response and Aid Challenges

In response to the crisis, the United States announced the creation of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to coordinate aid deliveries, with Israel providing military security. However, the United Nations rejected the plan, warning that it could “weaponize aid,” violate neutrality principles, and lead to further displacement of Palestinians.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned Israel’s ongoing military strategy and blockade, stating that it “inflicts on Palestinians conditions of life increasingly incompatible with their continued existence in Gaza as a group.” He emphasized that the use of starvation as a method of war constitutes a war crime under international law.

Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Kill Seven, Including Three Children, Amid Severe Humanitarian Crisis

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