Tensions in Gaza have sharply escalated as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 13 Palestinians early Tuesday, April 15, according to local health authorities. The latest wave of attacks struck areas near shelters and hospitals, further endangering civilians already caught in a worsening humanitarian emergency.
One of the most serious incidents involved a missile hitting the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in al-Muwasi, near Khan Younis, killing a medic and injuring nine others. This strike comes on the heels of a previous attack that partially destroyed al-Ahli Hospital in the north — a facility that was among the last still offering critical care in the region.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attacks, underscoring that medical facilities must be protected under international law. He warned of a catastrophic decline in access to essential resources like food, clean water, and medicine, all of which are now in critically short supply due to a blockade on humanitarian aid since March 2.
The broader death toll from the conflict, which reignited in October 2023, has now surpassed 51,000, with women and children representing more than half of those killed. As living conditions deteriorate, ceasefire negotiations remain fragile. A Hamas delegation is reportedly heading to Qatar for renewed talks, though key disagreements — particularly over the permanent cessation of hostilities — remain unresolved.
Global leaders continue to urge for an immediate truce and the safeguarding of civilians, but the situation on the ground suggests little relief in sight for Gaza’s exhausted population.
