Health officials in Gaza say Israeli attacks have killed at least 21 people since dawn, as an intense heat wave compounds the suffering of Palestinians who continue to starve under Israel’s blockade. Among the dead is a 1-and-a-half-year-old Palestinian boy killed when an Israeli strike hit a tent in Gaza City. Several of the boy’s family members were injured. The U.N.'s humanitarian office warns the nutritional status of Gaza's children continues to deteriorate due to Israel’s siege — with almost 13,000 admissions of children for acute malnutrition recorded in July.

On Thursday, the emergency department of Gaza’s Nasser Hospital flooded with raw sewage after an Israeli strike damaged nearby infrastructure. The hospital’s director said Israeli forces were blocking efforts to repair the broken sewer lines.

Dr. Atef Al-Hout: “The problem is not inside Nasser Medical Complex. The problem is outside, but it is in an area known as the 'red zone,' which the municipality or any other institution can’t reach without coordination with the Israeli occupation. To be able to resolve this problem, the coordination needs 72 hours, according to what we’ve been told. The situation is tragic, and we can’t afford 72 hours. The hospital will collapse.”