Israeli Airstrikes Kill 50 in Gaza’s Jabalia as UN Warns of Genocide Risk
At least 50 Palestinians, including 22 children and 15 women, have been killed in a wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting northern Gaza, according to medical officials at the Indonesian hospital in Jabalia. The bombardment flattened multiple homes in Jabalia town and refugee camp, with disturbing images circulating online showing rows of bodies awaiting identification.
The Israeli military, responding to rocket fire from Gaza, had earlier issued a final evacuation notice to residents of Jabalia and nearby areas. Israel claimed it would launch “powerful attacks” on any site from which rockets were fired. Three rockets reportedly entered Israeli airspace on Tuesday, with two intercepted and one landing harmlessly.
Meanwhile, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, sounded the alarm during a Security Council meeting, urging action to “prevent genocide” in Gaza. He condemned what he called Israel’s deliberate imposition of inhumane living conditions, and criticized the US-backed aid distribution system as a “fig leaf” for continued displacement and suffering.
Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon dismissed the remarks as “baseless,” arguing that aid routes were being exploited to support Hamas. However, the UN and Hamas have both denied such claims.
Footage from Jabalia showed devastation overnight, with residents like Hadi Moqbel recounting horror after rockets hit his family’s home, killing multiple relatives including a two-month-old infant.
In total, 70 Palestinians were reported killed across Gaza on Wednesday, most in Jabalia, as the Gaza Strip remains largely under siege. Israel re-imposed a full blockade on March 2 and resumed its military campaign on March 18 after a brief ceasefire collapsed.
According to the UN, around 70% of Gaza is now under evacuation orders or designated no-go zones. Severe food and fuel shortages have shuttered UN-supported bakeries and more than 60% of community kitchens, with 500,000 people now facing starvation.
Despite Israel’s claims of compliance with international law and sufficient aid deliveries during previous ceasefires, humanitarian agencies report a worsening famine risk across the region.
In a possible gesture toward de-escalation, Hamas released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander earlier this week. The move, reportedly aimed at US President Donald Trump during his Middle East visit, has raised hopes for a renewed ceasefire.
Trump, speaking at a summit in Riyadh, said, “All hostages must be released as a stepping stone to peace,” adding that negotiations are ongoing in Qatar through envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler.
Despite this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the military will intensify operations to “eliminate Hamas” and that no permanent ceasefire is on the table.
“There will be no situation where we stop the war,” Netanyahu said. “A temporary ceasefire might happen, but we are going all the way.”
On Tuesday, a separate Israeli airstrike on Khan Younis reportedly killed 28 people, including civilians at a hospital compound. Israel said it targeted a Hamas command center beneath the building.
Since the conflict reignited after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, over 52,900 people have been killed in Gaza, including nearly 2,800 since March 18, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
As conditions worsen and calls for accountability grow louder, the Gaza war remains one of the most severe humanitarian crises of the modern era—with little sign of a durable resolution on the horizon.
