Israel intensifies Gaza bombing as pregnant women suffer from malnutrition

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Israel intensified its bombardment across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, targeting Khan Younis, Rafah and Deir Al Balah, as at least 165 people were killed and 250 wounded in 24 hours, the Gaza Ministry of Health said on Saturday afternoon.

It lifted the death toll in the enclave to more than 21,600, with 56,165 wounded.

At least 50,000 pregnant women are suffering from malnutrition and health complications, said ministry spokesman Dr Ashraf Qudra.

He warned that those with high-risk pregnancies sheltering in health centres are lacking clean drinking water, proper hygiene, food and health care.

“More than 900,000 children taking shelter are exposed to the dangers of severe cold, dehydration, malnutrition, respiratory and skin diseases and a lack of inoculations for newborn children,” he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Al Quds Brigades fighters said they had engaged in battles in the north and east of Khan Younis, in Gaza’s south.

In central Gaza’s Deir Al Balah, Israeli boats launched “intense attacks” near the beach, Palestinian outlet Al Awdah reported.

Several wounded people arrived at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al Balah, amid the continuing strikes there.

In Deir Al Balah’s Nuseirat camp, resident Mustafa Abu Wawee said a strike hit the home of one of his relatives, killing two people.

“The (Israeli) occupation is doing everything to force people to leave,” he told the Associated Press over the phone while searching along with others for four people missing under the rubble. “They want to break our spirit and will but they will fail. We are here to stay.”

A strike late on Friday in Nuseirat targeted the home of a journalist for Al Quds TV, a channel linked to the group Islamic Jihad whose militants also participated in the October 7 attack on Israel. The channel said the journalist, Jaber Abu Hadros, and six members of his family were killed.