12 Palestinians martyred in Khan Younis as ‘Israel’ continues Gaza bombardment
At least 12 Palestinians, including children, were killed in a Khan Younis artillery strike as the Gaza death toll climbs past 62,000.
Our correspondent in the Gaza Strip reported on Saturday that 12 Palestinians, including children and infants, were martyred in an artillery strike targeting tents sheltering displaced people in the Asdaa area, north of Khan Younis.
The attack is the latest in a series of deadly assaults by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on areas designated as safe zones for civilians.
In a separate incident, an Israeli drone strike targeted a house near the al-Muhajireen Mosque in the Maghazi refugee camp, located in the central Gaza Strip, injuring several Palestinians.
Palestinian medical sources confirmed that at least 76 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli occupation forces across the Gaza Strip since dawn on Friday.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Friday that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression, which began on October 7, 2023, has reached 62,263 martyrs, with 157,365 wounded. Since March 18, 2025, the number of martyrs and injured stands at 10,717 and 45,324, respectively.
The ongoing blockade and targeting of aid seekers have led to further casualties. The total number of Palestinians killed while attempting to secure aid has reached 2,060, with more than 15,197 injured.
The Ministry also reported that the number of starvation-related deaths in Gaza has risen to 274, including 113 children, underscoring the severity of the humanitarian catastrophe.
On Friday, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that nearly 13,000 children in Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition that threatens their lives, following the UN’s official confirmation that the besieged territory has entered phase five famine classification.
El-Hawari explained that the limited aid shipments recently allowed through Cyprus were insufficient, dealing with only about 1,000 children for one month. “The actual need is many times greater,” he added, stressing that the humanitarian response must include food, clean water, and basic health services, something “impossible without a full ceasefire.”
In an interview with our reporters, Samir el-Hawari, UNICEF’s Deputy Acting Director for Emergency Programs, stressed that the crisis “is no longer only about food, but also the absence of proper healthcare.” He warned that immediate access to nutrition centers and medical services is essential to save thousands of children.
