Israel pounds Gaza: 23 civilians killed, full occupation looms
Shafaq News/ At least 23 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Friday, primarily in Khan Younis, as Israel prepares for a potential “full-scale occupation” of the Gaza Strip, according to Arab and Western media.
In Gaza City, one person was killed and several others injured when Israeli shelling hit a market in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, targeting displaced civilians. A drone strike in Rafah killed a man and his wife, while renewed shelling injured dozens across Gaza’s urban centers, Arab outlets affirmed.
🔴 عاجل | طائرات الاحتلال تشن غارات عنيفة على حي الشجاعية وحي التفاح شرق مدينة غزة. pic.twitter.com/grfw694IfK
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) April 4, 2025
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 50,523 deaths and 114,638 injuries since the Israeli war began. The Government Media Office placed the death toll above 61,700, citing bodies still buried under rubble.
On Palestinian Child Day, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reported that 39,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents, including 17,000 fully orphaned. Many are living in tents or damaged buildings, without basic services or psychological support.
PCBS data also showed that 17,954 children have been killed, including 274 newborns and 876 under the age of one. Others died from malnutrition, exposure, or lack of medical care. In the West Bank, 923 Palestinians, including 188 children, have been killed, and over 660 injured.
#د_علا_عوض تستعرض أوضاع أطفال فلسطين بمناسبة يوم الطفل الفلسطيني⬅️قطاع غزة ينزف طفولة: 534 يوماً من العدوان يسلب الأطفال أحلامهم ويهدم براءتهم تحت الركام⬅️39 ألف يتيم في قطاع غزة: أكبر أزمة يُتم في التاريخ الحديثhttps://t.co/iBx0m5cqPI#الإحصاء_الفلسطيني@Olashakhshir pic.twitter.com/wOyUKSSh0H
— PCBS (@PCBSPalestine) April 3, 2025
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported a “strategic shift” in Israeli military planning under new Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. Israeli officials disclosed that Zamir aims to “eliminate Hamas” through a prolonged ground offensive and is prepared to authorize the “full occupation of Gaza,” including control over humanitarian aid, departing from Israel’s previous approach.
“The new Chief of Staff comes from a different military culture, a culture of heavy deployment,” noted Ehud Yaari of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Analysts cited in the WSJ report warned that such an operation could trigger a prolonged insurgency, increase Palestinian civilian casualties, and elevate risks to Israeli troops. The report also highlighted concerns about the strain on Israel’s reservists and economic impacts.
