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At least 46 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks Wednesday, while six more died of starvation in the famine-stricken Gaza Strip, according to medics and the enclave’s Health Ministry.
Medical sources said five people, including a pregnant woman and her unborn child, were killed when an Israeli helicopter struck a residential building in western Gaza City. Another helicopter attack in central Gaza killed three more.
Israeli forces also targeted tents sheltering displaced civilians near Ranteesi Specialist Hospital, hit homes in Sheikh Radwan and al-Daraj, and launched drone strikes in al-Shujaiya and Nuseirat camp. In Rafah, soldiers opened fire on people waiting for aid, killing three and wounding 50.
In total, the Health Ministry said famine has now killed 367 people, including 131 children, with six deaths in the past 24 hours.
The Israeli military campaign has killed more than 63,700 Palestinians since October 2023. Gaza faces famine, with health officials reporting over 43,000 malnourished children under 5 and 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women lacking proper nutrition.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity, while Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
As the humanitarian crisis deepens, a report by Drop Site News revealed that Google is in the middle of a six-month, $45 million contract with Netanyahu’s office to promote government messaging and downplay famine in Gaza.
Signed in late June, the contract describes Google as a “key entity” in supporting Netanyahu’s public relations strategy. Ads denying famine, including a Foreign Ministry YouTube video declaring “there is food in Gaza. Any other claim is a lie,” have reached more than 6 million views through paid promotion.
Government documents describe the campaign as “hasbara,” a Hebrew term often translated as “propaganda.” Records also show Israel spent $3 million on ads with the U.S. platform X and $2.1 million with Outbrain/Teads.
The campaign began days after Israel blocked food, medicine, fuel and other aid on March 2, prompting questions from lawmakers about how the government would manage international criticism.
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