Israeli occupation forces killed a Palestinian and wounded another east of Khan Younis on Monday, in yet another breach of the fragile “ceasefire” that Gaza has endured for 221 consecutive days, as bombardment and gunfire continue to strike neighborhoods already pushed beyond collapse.
Medical sources said Monday’s fatality occurred when an Israeli drone fired on a group of civilians near the Bani Suheila roundabout east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
Israeli naval boats also opened fire on Palestinians west of the city, while an Israeli quadcopter dropped an explosive device on residents in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, injuring several.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said hospitals received 6 Palestinians killed and 40 wounded in the last 24 hours.
Breaking: Heavy Israeli bombardment targets northern and southern Gaza. The sound of massive explosions is shaking every part of the Strip. pic.twitter.com/8r0R9MmI11
— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) May 18, 2026
According to the ministry’s daily bulletin, Israeli attacks since the “ceasefire” agreement of October 11, 2025, have killed 877 Palestinians, injured 2,602, and rescue teams have recovered 776 bodies from destroyed areas.
In a heartbreaking and tragic scene, my friend’s father was trying to help one of the injured when Israel bombed the area, killing him and everyone else there.
He died trying to save others. pic.twitter.com/gTE3Xd6MaX
— Hasan alrabay (@HasanEssam29636) May 18, 2026
The cumulative toll since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023, has risen to 72,769 killed and 172,704 injured.
The Health Ministry stressed that “a number of victims remain under the rubble and in the streets, as ambulance and civil defense crews are unable to reach them due to ongoing Israeli fire.”
The Ministry issued additional statements describing a deepening humanitarian emergency.
Marking World Hypertension Day, the ministry warned that 225,000 hypertension patients in Gaza face life‑threatening risks due to the collapse of primary care, the disappearance of essential medications, and the severe deterioration of living conditions.
Thirteen-year-old Jana Hassan Muhammad al-Hajj was pulled from under the rubble alive but lost all feeling in her leg. Months later, she began to limp, and her condition has since deteriorated to the point where she can barely walk. Doctors gave her a medical referral for… pic.twitter.com/CR0Iqu6HJs
— Translating Falasteen (Palestine) (@translatingpal) May 18, 2026
It said repeated displacement, fear, malnutrition, and environmental contamination have turned hypertension into a “silent killer” claiming lives without warning.
In a separate briefing, the ministry detailed the near‑total collapse of Gaza’s medical imaging services.
The health system has lost 76% of all imaging equipment during the war, leaving hospitals unable to diagnose or treat thousands of patients. Among the losses:
- All MRI services, after the destruction of 9 MRI machines.
- Only 5 of 18 CT scanners remain operational.
- Only 33 of 88 X‑ray machines still function, many barely.
- Only 5 of 16 fluoroscopy units remain for operating rooms.
The ministry warned that the collapse of diagnostic imaging “significantly increases the complexity of surgical and medical interventions” and leaves patients without the ability to receive essential, often life‑saving, diagnostic care.
Gaza’s remaining hospitals continue to operate under extreme pressure, with limited electricity, scarce medical supplies, and no capacity to repair damaged equipment — conditions that health officials say are pushing the system toward complete failure.
