Israeli strikes kill 288 in Gaza, 99 killed near aid sites; 59 massacres in 100 hours
Gaza: The Government Media Office in Gaza has accused Israeli forces of committing 59 massacres over the past 100 hours, resulting in the deaths of 288 Palestinians, including 99 individuals killed near aid distribution points. The office described the attacks as deliberate, targeting civilians, especially children, women, and the elderly, amid efforts to access food and shelter.
According to the statement, a total of 1,088 people have been injured in the latest wave of attacks, many in areas designated as humanitarian aid zones. “The so-called aid points have become death traps,” the statement read, alleging that Israel is intentionally targeting civilians at food lines, displacement centers, and overcrowded shelters.
"The occupation deliberately bombed public recreation areas, markets, homes, and shelters where tens of thousands of displaced people had gathered," the statement added. Among the areas hit was Al-Mawasi, previously declared a “safe zone” by Israeli forces. Civilians attempting to access food in this area were also reportedly killed.
The Media Office condemned the Israeli actions as “brutal crimes” and held the occupation forces fully responsible. It called on international humanitarian and legal bodies to intervene and halt what it described as a “systematic daily genocide.”
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has also raised alarm over critical shortages of blood supplies. In the past month alone, Gaza hospitals have used 10,000 units of blood, but only 3,500 units have been replenished. Hospitals and medical clinics have also been bombed, further crippling emergency response capacity.
Since the escalation of Israel’s military campaign following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, Gaza health authorities report a total of 57,418 Palestinians killed and 136,261 injured, with the majority being women and children.
The Health Ministry also noted that more than 700 Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks while attempting to access food. At least 743 deaths and 4,891 injuries have been reported at distribution sites run by the controversial U.S.-Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The Government Media Office concluded its statement with a plea to the international community to act swiftly to prevent further loss of civilian life and to ensure accountability for ongoing violations.
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Two injuries, one DNF, a DQ as India end messy World Relays campaign
Gaborone (Botswana) (PTI): Amoj Jacob and Ragul Kumar got injured during the men's 4x400m and 4x100 races respectively as India ended their World Athletics Relays campaign in disappointment on the second day of competitions here on Sunday.
The Indian camp had high hopes of making the 2027 World Championships in the men's 4x400m relay but the team did not finish (DNF) the race as Jacob suffered cramps and pulled out of the race after taking the baton from the first leg runner Dharamveer Choudhary. Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal TK were to run in the third and fourth legs.
Those teams which could not qualify for the 2027 Beijing World Championships by reaching the final round of each of the six relay events on Saturday were given another chance in the second qualification round on Sunday.
The top two teams in each of the two heats (in all six relay events) booked the Beijing ticket on Sunday.
India will now have to try and qualify for the World Championships through the Top Lists of the World Athletics, which is a long and tedious process.
In the men's 4x100m race, third leg runner Ragul Kumar fell down the track after failing to hand over the baton inside the exchange zone to fourth leg runner Gurindervir Singh, which clearly showed the lack of coordination among the runners.
Harsh Santosh Raut and Animesh Kujur ran the first two legs.
The Indian quartet was disqualified and Kumar was seen being taken away from the Field of Play with the help of the volunteers.
It was a comedy of errors in the case of the women's 4x100m race, which saw the baton being dropped during an exchange between first leg runner Tamanna and second runner Nithya Gandhe, though the Indians finished the race in 53.09 seconds.
Gandhe started running quite a distance, but after realising that the baton was not in her hand, she turned and ran back to pick it up.
The only silver-lining for the Indian contingent was the national record time in the mixed 4x100m relay race, though the quartet of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS finished sixth in heat number two with a time of 41.35 seconds, bettering the previous national mark of 42.30 seconds set in March in Chandigarh.
The mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Theerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur ended at fifth in heat number one with a time of 3 minutes and 19.40 seconds.
On Saturday, all the five Indian relay teams had failed to make it to the respective final rounds and thus missed out on the 2027 World Championships berths.
