In Gaza, intense fighting erupted in the Shujayea area as the UN confirmed that the number of displaced people in the besieged territory has reached 1.9 million. Amid escalating violence, hundreds of Palestinian patients evacuated the European Hospital and tent camps in Khan Younis following an Israeli army order to evacuate eastern Gaza.
Israeli airstrikes have injured 81 people in the latest 24-hour period, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, with 25 Palestinians reported killed. Civil defense teams are struggling to reach Palestinians trapped under rubble.
UN humanitarian coordinator Sigrid Kaag briefed the Security Council, highlighting insufficient aid flows into Gaza. She emphasized the urgent need for a full and permanent ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian aid, describing current efforts as immensely challenging.
Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo, reporting from UN headquarters, noted Kaag’s call for improved aid access through better deconfliction mechanisms and diversified routes. Discussions with Israeli officials are ongoing to potentially reopen the Rafah border crossing to enhance aid delivery and support reconstruction efforts.
