Dozens martyred in heavy airstrikes on Khan Younis as occupation ramps up offensive in “Morag Axis”

Nine people, including a Palestinian journalist, were martyred on Sunday morning in Khan Younis, raising the death toll to at least 46 in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, as the Zionist occupation continues pounding the already devastated enclave, after shattering the ceasefire deal on March 18, bringing the total to over 1,309 martyrs and 3,184 wounded in less than a month.

The occupation fighter jets targeted a house and displacement tents west of Khan Younis, resulting in several casualties, including the 7-year-old girl, Elin Alaa Baraka, whose body was retrieved from the rubble, according to Wafa news agency.

On Saturday, the occupation forces launched an offensive in the so-called “Morag Axis” in southern Gaza, a move Palestinian authorities say is part of a broader plan to entrench the occupation and divide the coastal enclave.

The Morag Axis was announced on April 2, separating the southern Gaza cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, and has become the latest flashpoint in the Zionist occupation’s ongoing brutal military campaign. This area consists mainly of agricultural land located between Khan Younis and Rafah, stretching from east to west across the Gaza Strip. Moreover, it includes areas that the occupation forces had previously designated as a “humanitarian zone,” where displaced Palestinians were ordered to evacuate.

The Morag Corridor is named after a former illegal “Israeli” settlement that was established in the region in 1972 until 2005, when the occupation withdrew from Gaza.

Palestinian officials have condemned the new operation, warning that it is aimed at physically dividing the Gaza Strip and ensuring continued occupation presence in the area.

In parallel, UNICEF spokesperson Kazem Abu Khalaf announced on Sunday that approximately 21 malnutrition treatment centres in Gaza have been closed due to the resumption of occupation aggression and recent evacuation orders for the areas where these centres were operating, Wafa reported.

In a press statement, Abu Khalaf explained that UNICEF is awaiting a report from the special body tasked with assessing food security in Gaza to present its findings, emphasising that “Israel” has continued to block crossings into Gaza for the 35th consecutive day, preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, medical supplies, nutritional supplements, and other essential materials, Wafa added.

As Saturday marked Palestinian Children’s Day, children in the Gaza Strip continue to suffer from the ongoing genocide perpetrated by the Zionist occupation, depriving them of basic rights such as shelter, food, education, and safety.

Palestinian authorities report that children and women make up over 60% of the casualties from the ongoing attacks. Children under 18 account for 43% of Palestine’s population of 5.5 million, with 2.1 million residing in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Rights and statistical reports indicate that tens of thousands of children in Gaza have lost one or both parents since the Zionist occupation launched its genocidal war on Oct. 7, 2023.

According to Palestinian officials, 52 children have died from starvation or malnutrition. Around 3,500 more are at risk of death due to hunger and lack of access to food. Meanwhile, the destruction of over 88% of Gaza’s infrastructure, including homes, has left families exposed to freezing winter temperatures. Accordingly, at least 17 children and infants died from cold-related causes while living in makeshift tents.

The Zionist occupation’s war on civilians has resulted in an orphaned generation, as over 39,000 children have lost at least one parent, and around 17,000 are now without both, according to official data. Many live in torn tents or among the rubble of their destroyed homes without access to social care or psychological support.

On April 1, UNICEF reported that 322 children were killed and 609 injured since the occupation resumed its offensive on March 18.

The Zionist occupation’s genocidal war on Gaza has resulted in at least 50,669 Palestinian martyrs and 115,225 wounded, according to the Health Ministry. The Government Media Office updated its death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead.