The Israeli occupation forces have unleashed a savage wave of aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip for the third consecutive day, targeting defenseless Palestinian families in a series of ruthless massacres that have left dozens dead and countless others wounded or buried under rubble.

The relentless onslaught, which intensified at dawn on Thursday, has seen entire residential neighborhoods reduced to dust as the occupation flattens homes with impunity.

In the past two hours alone, Israeli warplanes demolished at least nine residential buildings across Gaza, with medical sources reporting a staggering toll: 37 civilians martyred, including newborn babies, children, women, and the elderly, all slaughtered as they slept. An additional 40 individuals remain missing, presumed trapped beneath the debris of their obliterated homes. In Khan Yunis and Rafah, 21 martyrs were rushed to the Gaza European Hospital, their families wiped out in the indiscriminate bombings.

The northern town of Beit Lahia bore the brunt of the violence, where the Al-Daour family home was bombed, killing and injuring several residents while leaving others unaccounted for under the wreckage. In a particularly heinous act, an Israeli helicopter opened fire on a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in the Al-Zahour neighborhood north of Rafah, injuring numerous civilians who had sought refuge from the ongoing carnage. Agricultural land northwest of Beit Lahia was also targeted, pummeled by airstrikes and heavy artillery shelling in a clear attempt to devastate Gaza’s lifeline.

Further atrocities unfolded as the Abu Nasr family home in Beit Lahia and the Jabr family residence in Rafah’s Musbah area were bombed, claiming at least 10 lives in the latter attack alone. In Al-Fakhari, east of Khan Yunis, the bodies of two martyrs were pulled from the ruins of the Al-Amour family home, while 12 more Palestinians perished when the Abu Daqqa family house was obliterated in the same town. Even humanitarian efforts were not spared, with Israeli forces striking near a food aid distribution warehouse and a prayer hall in the Ma’an area, east of Khan Yunis.

This latest escalation follows Israel’s unilateral termination of a fragile ceasefire agreement, which had been in place since January 19. The renewed offensive, launched at dawn on Tuesday, has already claimed the lives of approximately 500 Palestinians, with hundreds more injured, as airstrikes rain down on every corner of the Strip. The occupation’s actions have drawn widespread condemnation as a flagrant violation of international law and a continuation of its genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people.

As the death toll rises and the cries of the wounded echo through Gaza’s shattered streets, the international community remains deafeningly silent, leaving Palestinians to face this unrelenting terror alone. The resilience of Gaza’s people endures, but the question remains: how many more must be sacrificed before the world demands an end to Israel’s barbarity? (ILKHA)