At least 38 Palestinians have lost their lives across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the latest casualties in the ongoing conflict that has wreaked havoc on the region. Early on Sunday morning, a deadly Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle in the town of Deir al-Balah, killing six brothers. The brothers, all volunteers, were engaged in providing vital food supplies to Palestinians in Gaza. Their tragic deaths underscore the devastating toll the conflict continues to take on civilians and humanitarian workers.

In addition to this attack, Israeli forces targeted a flour distribution centre in Khan Younis, located in the southern part of Gaza. The facility, run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), plays a crucial role in providing food assistance to the population in Gaza, which has been under severe strain since the resumption of hostilities. The targeting of such civilian infrastructure raises further concerns about the impact of the ongoing conflict on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The Israeli military also struck the Al Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, leaving it unable to operate. Two airstrikes hit the hospital’s emergency unit, the main entrance, and a facility holding medical oxygen used for intensive care patients. These attacks effectively rendered the hospital inoperable, compounding an already dire healthcare crisis in the region. Although patients and staff were evacuated minutes before the strikes, one patient, who had sustained a head injury and had been reliant on an oxygen machine, tragically died while being transferred to another facility. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a statement condemning the attack, emphasising the critical role that healthcare facilities play in times of conflict and calling for the protection of medical infrastructure under international law.

The Gaza Media Office has reported that at least 36 hospitals, including the Al Ahli Baptist Hospital, have been targeted by Israeli armed forces since the escalation of hostilities in 2023. The systematic destruction of medical facilities continues to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with healthcare workers struggling to provide life-saving care amidst the wreckage.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced on Saturday the completion of the Morag Corridor, a significant military project that isolates the city of Rafah from the rest of Gaza. The construction of this corridor has further segmented the Gaza Strip, effectively dividing it into isolated pockets and complicating efforts to provide aid and services to the civilian population.

The impact on children has been particularly devastating, with the Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson, Mahmoud Basal, reporting that at least 500 children have been killed since the resumption of the conflict on March 18. The relentless violence has taken a disproportionate toll on Gaza’s youngest and most vulnerable, further underlining the scale of the tragedy that continues to unfold.

As the conflict rages on, the international community is left grappling with the dire consequences for the civilian population, and the question of how to bring about a lasting resolution remains as elusive as ever.

Al Jazeera.