Between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, at least 46 civilians were killed and dozens injured in Israeli army attacks and shootings in the Gaza Strip. Of these, more than 30 were people who had come to pick up humanitarian aid supplies—their lives ended in gunfire during food distribution. Local hospitals have confirmed these figures.
What happened in the area?
- Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported that 12 people were killed by gunfire on a crowd waiting for aid trucks from the Zikim Crossing.
- Another 13 people were killed in attacks in the Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun areas in northern Gaza.
- 16 bodies arrived at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis (southern Gaza)—where crowds were waiting for aid trucks near the Morag Corridor.
- Four more bodies were found at Awda Hospital in the Nuserat refugee camp, said to be victims of murder near the aid distribution center.
Deaths from hunger and malnutrition also continued
- Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that 7 people, including a child, died of malnutrition in the last 24 hours.
- Since the beginning of this war, 89 children have died of malnutrition, and more than 85 children have been reported dead in recent days.
‘We only target terrorists’ – Israel
- Israel has consistently said it only targets terrorist structures, blaming Hamas for civilian deaths because the organization operates in densely populated areas.
- Britain has warned that if Israel does not sign a ceasefire with Hamas, it will recognize Palestine as an independent state in September. France also made a similar statement.
- The Israeli Foreign Ministry rejected the British statement on this.
Allegations of witnesses and organizations — relief centers became ‘traps of lives’
- Crowds of people gather at relief centers run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in Gaza. According to some reports, aid locations have been declared war zones by Israel citing the need for security and control of its forces. It is said that the jawans opened fire on the crowd who came to seek help. It has been described as a “mass conspiracy” and a “military crime” in the world.
- GHF and senior UN officials call this “humanitarian weaponry” — a pattern in which food centers have been turned into death traps.
International response
- Global institutions such as UNICEF, WHO and IPC have declared the hunger situation in Gaza ’emergency’. Half a million people are on the brink of starvation, especially children, the elderly and pregnant women.
- The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Commission and other international leaders are calling for a ceasefire, to ensure the safety of the people and to remove the immediate humanitarian obstacles.
- US Special Envoy Steve Wikoff will visit Israel soon to inspect Gaza aid centers and assess the situation.