At least 35 Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded by Israeli fire while waiting for humanitarian aid near the Netzarim Corridor in the central Gaza Strip. This incident is part of a larger crisis, where Israeli attacks on Palestinians attempting to receive food aid have killed hundreds of people and wounded others since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) started distributions on May 27.
According to Ismail al-Thawabta, the director-general of Gaza’s Government Media Office, the total number of aid seekers killed stands at 409, with 3,203 more injured. The situation is further exacerbated by a man-made drought in the Gaza Strip, where water systems have collapsed, and only 40% of drinking water production facilities remain functional. UNICEF spokesperson James Elder warned that children will begin to die of thirst if the situation doesn’t improve.
“We did have many testimonials of women and children injured while trying to receive food aid, including a young boy who was wounded by a tank shell and later died of his injuries,” Elder said. He emphasized that the lack of public clarity on when aid sites are open is causing mass casualty events. “There have been instances where information [was] shared that a site is open, but then it’s communicated on social media that they’re closed, but that information was shared when Gaza’s internet was down and people had no access to it,” Elder explained.
The GHF has distributed three million meals across three aid sites without incident, but the UN agency warned that the distribution system is “making a desperate situation worse”. Meanwhile, Israeli jets bombed a house west of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, killing at least eight people and injuring more. Hospitals in Gaza reported that at least 50 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army on Friday.
The situation in Gaza is dire, with the entire population facing the threat of famine after Israel imposed a total blockade from early March to late May. The international community is urged to take immediate action to address the crisis and ensure the safe delivery of aid supplies.