At least 38 Palestinian civilians were killed and dozens more wounded on Tuesday as Israeli warplanes unleashed a new wave of deadly bombardment across the Gaza Strip, targeting residential areas and civilian gatherings.

Medical sources at Al-Shifa Hospital in western Gaza City reported that the bodies of eight martyrs – most of them women and children – were brought to the hospital following overnight strikes. Around 40 others were injured, many of them in critical condition, overwhelming the already collapsing medical system.

The Israeli occupation’s attacks focused on densely populated neighborhoods, striking a residential block near the General Security area northwest of Gaza City. Witnesses reported horrific scenes as ambulances struggled to reach the area due to rubble-strewn roads.

In one of the deadliest incidents, Israeli missiles struck the Masoud family home near Al-Shawa Square in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, killing two children instantly and injuring several others. Survivors described pulling loved ones from the debris with their bare hands as rescue workers raced against time.

Another airstrike on a house in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City, killed four people. Their bodies, along with the wounded, were transferred to Al-Ma'moud Hospital.

Central Gaza also came under relentless fire. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah reported receiving three martyrs and several wounded after Israeli warplanes bombed an apartment inside the crowded Deir al-Balah refugee camp.

In Nuseirat, Al-Awda Hospital confirmed seven deaths and over 20 injuries after the occupation forces shelled a civilian gathering at a humanitarian aid distribution point south of Wadi Gaza – a move condemned by Palestinian officials as a deliberate war crime targeting starving civilians.

Search and rescue teams continue to work through the night, with several victims still trapped under the rubble. The death toll is expected to rise.

Tuesday’s massacre is the latest in Israel’s nearly two year-long genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians – the majority of them women and children – and displaced nearly the entire population of the besieged enclave. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, and UN agencies warn that famine and disease are spreading rapidly as Israel blocks food, water, and fuel.

Human rights groups and the International Court of Justice have accused Israel of committing war crimes and possible genocide. Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has intensified its bombardment, claiming to target resistance fighters but in reality devastating civilian infrastructure and residential areas.

Palestinian leaders are calling on the international community to intervene immediately to stop the massacre, enforce humanitarian corridors, and hold Israeli officials accountable for crimes against humanity. (ILKHA)