On the first anniversary of the genocidal attack on Gaza that began on October 7, 2023, the Palestinian government’s media office revealed that Israel has committed nearly 42,000 massacres throughout the year, leading to a humanitarian disaster marked by the destruction of essential infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.
According to various sources, the conflict has resulted in the killing of over 1.8 percent of the total population. Among these casualties, around 24 percent are youngsters, highlighting the disproportionate impact on children and adolescents.
In a violation of international law, Israel deliberately has attacked schools, mosques and hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
Timeline of major attacks
| Date | Location | Casualties | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 7, 2023 | Southern Israel | In a single day, 1,200 were killed in Israel and 251 kidnapped | Initial attacks by Hamas. |
| October 14, 2023 | Al-Taba’een School in Gaza, used for displaced Palestinians | Over 100 civilians killed during airstrike | Attacked during Fajr prayers (Dawn). |
| November 17, 2023 | Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza | More than 470 civilians were killed in airstrikes | In this attack, major casualties were caused by explosions after rocket-propelled munition |
| November 9, 2023 | Al-Buraq School, used for sheltering displaced families | At least 50 killed | Israeli missile and artillery bombardment targeted the school |
| November 15 | Al-Shifa Hospital | 200 killed | Due to the constant bombardment. |
| January 6, 2024 | Nuseirat Camp, a Palestinian refugee camp located in the middle of the Gaza Strip | At least 91 civilians killed | The Israeli occupation army bombed the camp 63 times in seven days. |
| January – March 2024 | Across Gaza Strip | Ongoing onslaught | Systematic attacks on civilian infrastructure every three hours. |
| March 19 2024 | Al Shifa Hospital | 90 people killed | The hospitals were sieged and displaced Palestinians were long detained and abused. |
Attacks on schools, hospitals
The assault on educational and medical facilities has been particularly devastating.
Palestinian officials report that 80 percent of schools have been at least partially destroyed in Gaza.
From mid-April 2024, data shows that more than 6,500 students and 756 teachers have been killed.
31 out of 36 have sustained or faced destruction, and 16 are partially operational due to a lack of medication and employees.
Medical crisis in Gaza
The recent reports revealed that the Israeli occupation’s forces have targeted 162 health facilities, 131 ambulances, 187 shelters, and 456 schools and universities, in the Gaza Strip over the past year.
According to the reports, hospitals across the affected regions in Gaza are facing severe shortages of medicines and other medical supplies.
Many doctors have been killed in airstrikes, some are unable to work due to constant threats.
Women in war-torn areas have delivered babies without the use of anaesthesia and over a thousand children have had their limbs amputated in the absence of adequate medical supplies.
Additionally, most women are even forced to use clothes as sanitary pads due to a lack of basic amenities.
People are falling sick at an alarming rate because of poor hygiene and inadequate access to clean water; over a quarter of the population has been reported to be severely affected by diseases that could be prevented.
So far, Israeli attacks killed 85 Palestinian civil defense members and 986 medics. Additionally, 902 families have been wiped off the civil registry and 36 people have died of malnutrition in Gaza.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations’ top court, found a “plausible risk” of genocide in Gaza. In a separate case, the ICC warned of arrest warrants for Israeli officials for what they described as “war crimes and crimes against humanity”.
October 7 operation
Israel started its destructive war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 last year, after the Palestinian resistance group Hamas embarked on what was described as its “historic operation” against the usurping entity.
The conflict started when Hamas declared “Operation al-Aqsa Flood” which began with a shower of rockets and the entry into Israel’s territories. This operation was in reaction to the stepped-up aggression on Palestinians including the military attacks, expansion of settlements and the siege of Gaza. The timing of the attack occurred during Jewish holidays, and this allegedly put Israeli forces on the blind side.
In Israel, the death toll from the October 7 attacks is reported to be 1139, down from the earlier reported 1405 deaths.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Sayima Ahmad | 
