Thousands of residents have fled the Zeitoun neighborhood in southern Gaza, where relentless Israeli shelling has created a “catastrophic” situation, according to the city’s municipality. At least 40 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Saturday alone, while Israel announced it would again allow tents from aid agencies to enter, as part of a plan to forcibly relocate about 1 million people from Gaza City to camps in the south.
Israel will hold a one-day general strike on Sunday against the government's decision to seize control of Gaza City, a decision approved last week by the war cabinet and condemned by the UN Security Council. Families of hostages and others oppose the expansion of the war, warning of the danger to the lives of Israelis held by Hamas.
According to the Gaza municipality, 80% of the city’s infrastructure has been destroyed, while the four remaining hospitals are operating at less than 20% capacity. The UN says 1.9 million people – 90% of Gaza’s population – have been displaced and that the general hunger is turning into a mass famine scenario. On Saturday alone, 11 people died from malnutrition, bringing the total number of victims to 251, including 108 children.
A 20-year-old woman from Gaza, Marah Abu Zuhri, evacuated for treatment in Italy, died in a Pisa hospital two days after arrival due to severe starvation.
Meanwhile, over 100 organizations reported that they have not been able to get any aid trucks into Gaza since March 2, due to tight Israeli restrictions. The UN reports that 1,760 Palestinians have been killed since May, most by Israeli troops, while waiting for food near distribution points.
Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 hostages were taken, the Israeli offensive has caused over 61,000 Palestinian casualties, according to the Gaza Health Ministry - figures that the UN considers credible.
