The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continues to escalate its widescale military aggression against the Gaza Strip, targeting innocent civilians through bombing houses on top of their residents, committing mass killings, erasing entire families, targeting municipal service workers, as well as issuing further displacement orders against Gaza’s residents. All these acts are clear evidence of Israel’s insistence on continuing its crime of genocide against the Palestinians.
This military escalation comes amid the intense airstrikes ongoing for the 6th consecutive day, while the repercussions of the suffocating siege and systematic starvation policy exacerbate. This has led to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe threatening the lives of 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and putting them in front of dire choices- to die from bombardment or hunger and lack of adequate medical treatment.
According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)’s field documentation, the airstrikes mainly targeted houses and tents across the Gaza Strip, destroying them on top of their residents and displaced families and committing mass killings by burying them under the rubble. Moreover, the airstrikes targeted gatherings, including condolences houses, as well as shelters, and it is obvious that the majority of the fatalities were civilians, including women and children.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH), in the last 24 hours, hospitals in the Gaza Strip have received 39 people killed and 61 others injured. This brings the death toll since the resumption of military aggression on last Tuesday to over 673, most of them children, women, and entire families wiped out, while the number of injured has risen to 1,233 as of last evening. Meanwhile, dozens remain trapped under the rubble, as the lack of necessary equipment prevents civil defense crews from retrieving them.
The most significant crimes documented by our field researchers in the last hours were as follows:
Sunday, 23 March 2025
At approximately 00:52, an Israeli helicopter targeted a tent in al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis, killing Salah Mohammed Ibrahim al-Bardawil (65), a member of Hamas’ political bureau, and his wife, Hanan Mohammed al-Bardawil (60).
At around 02:30, IOF’s warplanes bombed without prior warning al-Hashash family house on top of its residents in al-Hashash neighborhood, northwest of Rafah. As a result, Nour al-Deen Ahmed Sa’eed al-Hashash (24) and ‘Emad Naser Salam al-Hashash, were killed, and the house was destroyed.
At approximately 03:45, IOF’s warplanes bombed ‘Ashour family house on top of its residents in al-Naser village, north of Rafah. As a result, 8 of ‘Ashour family members, including the parents and their five children, were killed, while others sustained various injuries after the house was destroyed on them.
At around 03:50, IOF’s warplanes launched an airstrike on Madi family house in the Japanese neighborhood in western Khan Yunis. As a result, Jehan Waheed Mohammed Mousa (28) and Nada Mohammed Khaled Abu Madi (4) were killed, while others were injured.
At approximately 04:08, IOF’s warplanes targeted Jehad Shukri al-Agha (54)’s house on top of its residents in al-Satar al-Gharbi area in Khan Yunis. As a result, Jehad, his wife, Hanan Yaseen al-Astal (51), and their four children Idrees (16), Abrar (19), Jenan (21) and Weam (25) were killed. Also, five residents of the house were injured, including three children retrieved from under the rubble,.
At dawn, the IOF advanced hundreds of meters deep into Tel al-Sultan and al-Sa’oudi neighborhoods in western Rafah, while warplanes, drones, and military vehicles bombarded homes and tents. As a result, many residents were injured. Later, the IOF issued a statement warning residents to evacuate on foot toward the Al-Mawasi area1.
The residents stated that they were forcibly displaced under the IOF intense bombing, with reports of casualties among civilians attempting to flee. The Civil Defense has warned that 50,000 Palestinians are at risk of losing their lives in al-Barkassat area in western Rafah, after being surrounded by the IOF.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) announced that the IOF have surrounded several of its ambulances while they were covering an attack in al-Hashash neighborhood, north of Rafah. The PRCS also reported that several paramedics were injured, and that communication has been lost with the crew, who have been trapped since Sunday dawn.2
Also, Contact was also lost with Ministry of Health ambulances and Civil Defense rescue vehicles after they headed to evacuate the crews of PRCS ambulances.
At around 10:00, IOF’s warplanes targeted a sewage truck belonging to the municipalities of East Khan Younis. As a result, three workers from Abasan and Bani Suhaila municipalities were killed while on duty, as they were cleaning a cesspool at Abasan Primary School, which is being used as a shelter for internally displaced people, south of Abasan al-Kabira village. When the workers were targeted, they were on their way to unloading the sewage truck, about 3,500 meters away from the borders. The killed were identified as: Ahmed Barham Abu Sabha (51), Rami Rasmi Fadel Abu Tu’aima (43), both employees in ‘Abasan al-Kabira Municipality, and Bahaa’ Shaheda Salem Abu Meghnem (45), an employee in Bani Suhaila Municipality.
Saturday, 22 March 2025
On Saturday morning, the IOF launched a ground invasion into Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip, accompanied by airstrikes and artillery shelling. As a result, thousands of Palestinians were forcibly displaced. Simultaneously, the IOF continued their ground invasion into western Beit Lahia, forcing thousands of its residents to evacuate as well.
At around 11:50, Israeli artillery stationed along northern Gaza Strip’s eastern borders fired a shell that fell on Abu Dakhil family house in Um al-Naser Bedouin village. As a result, Safia Salman Madi Abu Dakhil (72) was killed after sustaining shrapnel injuries all over her body, while four other Palestinians, including two children, were injured.
At around 17:35, an Israeli drone targeted a group of residents near Nizam ‘Ali Khaled Mosque in al-Sa’oudi neighborhood, west of Rafah. As a result, a man and his two sons, including a child, were killed. They were identified as: Fathi Othman Mahmoud Kullab (48), Jehad (20) and ‘Abed al-Rahman (11). Additionally, others sustained various injuries.
At around 18:30, an Israeli drones targeted a group of people near the Emirati Crescent Maternity Hospital in Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah. As a result, three were killed, while others sustained various injuries.
At approximately 21:00, the IOF’s warplanes bombed without prior warning Abu Hasanin family house on top of its residents in al-Jenina neighborhood in Rafah. As a result, one of the house residents, Ahmed Salah al-Deen Ahmed Abu Hanasin (29), was killed.
At around 23:00, the IOF’s warplanes launched an airstrike on Abu Daqqa family house in al-Fukhari village, southeast of Khan Yunis, killing four of its residents. The killed were identified as: Jehad Anwar Kamel Abu Daqqa (36), his wife Mona Ibrahim ‘Abed al-Rahman al-Shawwaf (31), and their two children Lilyan (3) and Hour (8 months). Also, three others sustained various injuries.
PCHR warns that Israel’s return to conducting ground invasions, imposing its control over Palestinian cities and neighborhoods, committing extensive mass killings, and intensifying its policy of starvation and deprivation of medical treatment raises grave concern about inflicting thousands of casualties, either from direct bombardment or the devastating repercussions of the ongoing siege. This will further deteriorate the already catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip that has been continuously deteriorating since 07 October 2023.
PCHR calls on the international community to take decisive and urgent measures to stop the ongoing genocide and hold the Israeli leaders accountable for their atrocious crimes. PCHR also urges the State Parties to the Genocide Convention to fulfil their legal obligations and take urgent action to protect the Palestinian civilians from the genocide and mass killings.
