Mass Casualties in Gaza: Over 2,000 Dead in 38 Days Amid Intense Israeli Siege and Offensive

The Gaza Strip’s Government Media Office has reported that more than 2,000 civilians, primarily children, women, and the elderly, have been killed in northern Gaza since Israel began a sweeping offensive and siege 38 days ago. Ismail al-Thawabta, head of the media office, condemned the operation as an “extermination and ethnic cleansing campaign” and called on the international community to intervene to prevent further civilian casualties.

Al-Thawabta also criticized the United States, the United Kingdom, and several European nations, accusing them of complicity in the Gaza crisis and endorsing policies of “starvation and genocide.” He claimed that Israel had distributed deceptive maps showing “safe zones” within Gaza, which, he alleged, have been repeatedly bombed, causing further civilian harm.

The ongoing offensive has reportedly left thousands displaced, with Israeli forces blocking food supplies into northern Gaza and allegedly using hunger as a weapon to pressure Palestinians to flee. Journalists in the region report Israeli tanks advancing on civilian areas, intensified artillery strikes, and widespread destruction, including the targeting of schools, hospitals, and medical personnel.

According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), nearly 70 percent of those killed since the start of the offensive have been women and children, raising urgent concerns over the humanitarian crisis and the toll on Gaza’s civilian population.