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Displaced Palestinians moving south against the background of Gaza City, Wednesday. Credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters. Published by Haaretz

Scene in Gaza. Published by IMEMC News

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by IMEMC News
Oct 1, 2025

On Tuesday, Day 725 of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Israeli forces killed at least 64 Palestinians since dawn, including 20 civilians who were waiting for humanitarian aid south of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

The bombings mark one of the deadliest escalations in recent weeks, as airstrikes and ground shells continue to target densely populated areas and aid distribution points.

In Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, five civilians were killed and others wounded when an Israeli drone targeted a carpentry workshop. The injured were rushed to Al-Aqsa Hospital, which is operating far beyond capacity amid critical shortages of medicine, fuel, and surgical supplies.

In Nuseirat, central Gaza, a tent sheltering displaced families was hit by an Israeli missile near Abu Hajir station, killing one and injuring several others.

Israeli shelling also struck near Al-Quds Hospital in Tal al-Hawa, southwest Gaza City, raising fears of a repeat of previous attacks on medical facilities.

Several Palestinian Civil Defense medics were injured after Israeli forces targeted them while they rushed to rescue wounded civilians at Al-Falah School, which was sheltering displaced families in the Zeitoun neighborhood following an earlier Israeli bombardment.

In addition, two Palestinians were shot civilians, and several others were injured while waiting for food aid in Khan Younis.

Also among the victims today was photojournalist Yahya Barzaq, who was killed while documenting the aftermath of an Israeli bombing of Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza.

His death adds to the growing toll of media workers killed in Gaza, where press crews face constant danger amid ongoing bombardment.

Israeli forces launched over 120 airstrikes in the past 24 hours; hospitals across the Strip reported a total of 64 fatalities since morning, with victims arriving at the Shifa, the Arab Ahli Baptist Hospital, Al-Awda, Al-Aqsa, and Nasser Hospital.

However, the overall death toll for the past 24 hours stands at 91, reflecting casualties from overnight strikes as well as those reported throughout the day.

Medical teams warn that the influx of casualties is overwhelming emergency services, and many wounded are being treated on floors and in hallways.

In addition, the Global Sumud Flotilla has officially entered high-risk waters off Gaza’s coast in a renewed attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade and deliver emergency humanitarian aid.

Organizers confirmed the move via their official X account (@gbsumudflotilla), stating that the vessels carrying medical supplies, food, and water intended for civilians trapped in the Strip.

The crew includes international activists, medical volunteers, and journalists. They report that Israeli naval units have already issued warnings and are shadowing the flotilla’s route. Organizers say they are prepared for interception but insist their mission is peaceful and protected under international maritime law.

The flotilla’s approach is being closely monitored by aid groups and media outlets worldwide, with calls mounting for safe passage and international protection.

Humanitarian agencies continue to call for urgent intervention. UNICEF has renewed its appeal for the evacuation of critically ill infants, warning that neonatal units are operating without electricity, oxygen, or medication. Thousands of displaced families remain in makeshift shelters with no access to clean water or sanitation.

It is worth mentioning that The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued an urgent appeal for the immediate evacuation of at least 25 critically ill and premature infants from neonatal units in Gaza City, warning that their lives are in imminent danger.

As the genocide enters its third year, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to escalate, with no ceasefire in sight and international appeals for protection and aid growing more urgent by the hour.

Famine-related deaths in the Gaza Strip have risen to 453, including 150 children, as food insecurity and the collapse of medical infrastructure continue to deepen the humanitarian crisis, and hospitals are reporting new casualties daily.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 66,094 Palestinians, including at least 17,343 children and 10,220 women, and injured over 168,536, most of them women and children. Thousands more remain missing, many believed to be trapped beneath the rubble across the devastated Gaza Strip.
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Gaza's Dead Keep Piling Up as Netanyahu's Government Mulls Trump's Cease-fire Plan

Haaretz Editorial
Oct 1, 2025 12:17 am IDT

U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a dramatic press conference on Monday at which the former unveiled his 21-point plan for ending the war in the Gaza Strip, part of a bigger plan at the end of which peace is supposed to reign in the Middle East.

A few hours earlier, there were reports that 50 people had been killed in Israel Defense Forces operations in Gaza. They included people seeking humanitarian aid, medical personnel and journalists. In addition, 184 were wounded.

A day before the press conference, while Netanyahu was preparing for the important meeting and asserting that "we're working with President Trump's team, actually as we speak," 77 people were reported killed in IDF strikes in Gaza and 379 were wounded.

On Saturday, one day after Netanyahu's speech at the UN, in which he repeatedly claimed that the ratio of civilians to terrorists killed is "less than 2:1," it was reported that 74 people were killed by IDF fire.

Seventeen of the dead and 89 of the wounded were people seeking aid who were hit while visiting food distribution centers. Another 14 were killed in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp by a strike on a crowded market. Sixty were wounded in that attack.

Last Wednesday, 95 corpses were reportedly brought to hospitals in Gaza. Another 175 people were wounded, including 20 people seeking aid. And on the Sunday before that, 75 people reportedly died from IDF fire while 304 were wounded.

According to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry, five of the dead were killed while seeking humanitarian aid and four died of malnutrition. The number of Palestinians who have died of malnutrition in Gaza since October 7, 2023, is 440, including 147 children.

On the Saturday before that, 79 people were reportedly killed in Israel strikes. The dead included several relatives of the director of al-Shifa Hospital, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya.

While Israel, Washington and the world are waiting for Hamas' response to Trump's plan, the situation in the field continues to be merciless and deadly. The hostages continue to languish in Hamas' tunnels, and the count of Gaza's victims continues to mount. Since the beginning of the war, 66,000 Gazans have been killed and more than 168,000 have been wounded.

At the same time, the humanitarian catastrophe continues. Hospitals in Gaza are suffering from a severe shortage of medications and electricity, while their staff are collapsing under the workload. Many people are still trapped beneath the rubble. And the civilian population is wandering from place to place amid the ongoing devastation. Women and children are walking on foot, carrying a few belongings without any destination.

This is an intolerable situation that has to stop, regardless of how Hamas responds to the plan. It has to stop in the name of morality and humanity. This war needs to end now.

The above article is Haaretz's lead editorial, as published in the Hebrew and English newspapers in Israel.

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