Sat Dec 21 08:01:57 UTC 2024: ## Gaza Declared a ‘Graveyard’ Amidst Israeli Airstrikes and Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
**Gaza City, Palestine –** A wave of Israeli airstrikes has further devastated Gaza, leaving a trail of death and destruction and prompting the UN to declare the territory a “graveyard.” At least 22 Palestinians, including 10 members of one family – seven of them children – were killed in separate attacks Friday, according to Palestinian authorities. The Israeli army claimed the strikes targeted Hamas operatives, but disputed the casualty figures.
One particularly devastating attack targeted the Khallah family home in Jabalia, leaving seven children and three adults dead and 15 injured. Another airstrike in Nuseirat refugee camp killed eight people, while four more, including two girls and their parents, perished in Beit Hanoon.
The attacks come amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by heavy winter rains and the ongoing 14-month Israeli offensive. Louise Wateridge, UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer, painted a grim picture, stating, “An entire society here is now a graveyard… Over two million people are trapped.” She highlighted the desperate living conditions, with damaged or destroyed buildings leaving families with nowhere to shelter from the elements. The agency, providing assistance to nearly six million Palestinian refugees, is facing a funding crisis after Sweden announced it would cease funding UNRWA in response to Israeli legislation barring its operations in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.
The UN General Assembly has called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to clarify Israel’s legal responsibility regarding humanitarian access to Palestinian territories. This follows an earlier ICJ ruling ordering Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah, withdraw from Gaza, and guarantee humanitarian access. The escalating violence and humanitarian emergency in Gaza continue to draw international concern and condemnation.
First Piper 