Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill 17, sparking global demand to end blockade

Israel faces pressure from Germany, France, and Britain to end restrictions on humanitarian aid as civilians die in renewed Gaza strikes.

A view of the destruction caused by an Israeli army attack on the Yafa School, where displaced Palestinians had taken shelter, in Gaza City, Gaza, on April 23, 2025. Photo by Hamza Z. H. Qraiqea/Anadolu

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed at least 17 people since dawn on Wednesday, including women and children seeking shelter in a school building, according to the Gaza civil defence agency. The latest bombing campaign follows the end of a temporary ceasefire and the resumption of Israel’s military offensive in the Hamas-controlled enclave, which has left more than 51,000 Palestinians dead since October 2023.

The renewed strikes have once again drawn international condemnation. Germany, France, and Britain have issued a joint statement urging Israel to lift its blockade on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, calling the situation dire and warning of famine, disease, and further civilian deaths.

A school shelter turns into a mass grave

Gaza’s civil defence agency said its crews recovered several charred bodies from a school building in Gaza City’s Al-Tuffah neighbourhood. The school, repurposed as a shelter for displaced people, was hit by an Israeli airstrike early Wednesday. Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal confirmed that 11 of the 17 killed in the attack were in the school, including multiple women and children.

“The bombing sparked a massive blaze, and several charred bodies have since been recovered,” said Bassal. Images from the Al-Shifa hospital morgue showed the victims wrapped in white shrouds. Mourners were seen weeping, particularly over the bodies of children, as families prepared their loved ones for burial.

Outside the hospital, the grief and frustration were palpable. “We want nothing more than for the war to end, so we can live like people in the rest of the world,” said Walid al-Najjar, a resident of Khan Yunis who lost family in a separate strike. “We are a people who are poor, devastated — our lives are lost.”

Humanitarian access blocked amid military escalation

Since the Israeli military resumed its operations on March 18, humanitarian conditions have rapidly worsened. Aid groups and the United Nations have been warning for weeks that the restricted access to essential supplies, including food, fuel, and medical aid, is pushing Gaza’s civilian population into catastrophe.

The blockade, imposed by Israel on March 2, remains in effect, cutting off critical supplies from entering the besieged strip. In a joint statement released Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain said, “We urge Israel to immediately restart a rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza in order to meet the needs of all civilians.” They warned of an “acute risk of starvation, epidemic disease and death” if the situation is not addressed urgently.

The United Nations’ humanitarian agency, OCHA, echoed those warnings, reporting that community kitchens serving thousands of displaced Gazans are shutting down due to fuel shortages. “Due to a lack of cooking gas, families are resorting to burning plastic to cook their meals,” OCHA stated.

Rescue efforts hampered by destruction of equipment

Civil defence officials say their work is being crippled by the loss of critical equipment. According to Mahmud Bassal, Israeli airstrikes have targeted and destroyed bulldozers and engineering vehicles essential for rescue operations.

“We lack the necessary tools and equipment to carry out effective rescue operations or recover the bodies of martyrs,” said Bassal. On Tuesday, the Israeli military confirmed it had targeted approximately 40 “engineering vehicles,” alleging that they were being used for “terror purposes.”

Bassal countered that the destroyed machinery was being used to clear debris, rescue people trapped under rubble, and recover bodies. “This loss severely hampers our ability to save lives,” he added.

Rising death toll and displacement crisis

The resumption of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza has reignited fears of an unrelenting humanitarian crisis. Since March 18, at least 1,890 Palestinians have been killed, bringing the overall death toll in Gaza to over 51,266, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Since October 7 attack, Israel has conducted continuous air, land, and sea operations across Gaza, flattening entire neighbourhoods and displacing most of the territory’s 2.4 million residents.

With every new wave of strikes, the civilian cost grows. Bassal confirmed that beyond the school bombing, four additional people were killed in Israeli shelling of homes in eastern Gaza City on Wednesday. Israeli military officials have not commented on these latest incidents.

Aid convoys blocked, and fuel inaccessibility worsens conditions

Despite international appeals, aid convoys have not been able to deliver significant relief. According to UN reports, limited quantities of fuel are available in areas such as Rafah and northern Gaza, but access is restricted by military-designated “no-go” zones and ongoing displacement orders.

“The supplies are there, but we cannot reach them,” said an aid worker in Rafah. “The blockade, military checkpoints, and lack of coordination with Israeli forces have turned Gaza into an isolated prison.”

Israel claims that it currently controls 30 percent of Gaza. However, AFP analysis based on military-provided maps suggests Israeli forces are occupying more than half of the territory. With each passing day, the space for displaced Palestinians shrinks further, forcing families into overcrowded shelters with dwindling resources.

Ceasefire talks stall in Cairo

Diplomatic efforts to establish a new ceasefire have yet to yield any results. A Hamas delegation is currently in Cairo, engaging in indirect talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar. Previous negotiations led to a temporary truce and the exchange of hostages and prisoners. That deal ended on March 18, reigniting hostilities.

Analysts say that while regional and international actors are pushing for a renewed pause, mutual distrust between Israel and Hamas continues to block meaningful progress. Egypt and Qatar have so far declined to reveal the details of the ongoing negotiations.

A worsening humanitarian catastrophe

The situation in Gaza is quickly spiraling into what aid agencies describe as one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian emergencies. With over 51,000 deaths, mass displacement, and infrastructure collapse, the enclave is teetering on the edge of collapse.

Families that once relied on schools for shelter are now finding those same spaces destroyed by airstrikes. Women and children continue to bear the brunt of the violence, and local rescue teams say they are unable to meet the growing needs due to the destruction of their equipment.

Calls to lift the blockade are growing louder, but with no ceasefire in place and military operations intensifying, aid remains blocked, and the human cost continues to rise.

As the death toll climbs and the humanitarian crisis deepens, the world watches Gaza with increasing alarm, demanding urgent action — but the people of Gaza are still waiting.