At least 71 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli-caused attacks in Gaza as a result of a worsening humanitarian crisis, according to medical sources in the area. Additionally, seven more people have died from malnutrition and famine in the besieged area.
Israeli forces were heading toward the Zikim crossing point for aid trucks entering northern Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least 51 people and injuring more than 648 others, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.
The Nasser Medical Complex reported that another 20 people who were attempting to get aid were killed close to Khan Younis in southern Gaza’s “Morag Corridor.”
Israeli forces killed more than 1, 000 Palestinians who were requesting aid near US- and Israeli-backed GHF’s aid distribution centers, which started operations in late May.
The UN and other humanitarian organizations have harshly criticized the GHF for not providing enough aid and for the dire security conditions at and nearby its aid distribution sites.
Aid organizations and health officials are putting forth new threats of starvation, particularly among children and the elderly, as a result of the attacks.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 89 children have died from malnutrition, the most recently reported death toll. A famine scenario is unfolding, according to a global hunger monitor’s report on Tuesday.
Jihan al-Quraan, a mother who spoke to Al Jazeera while holding her young daughter, is one of the people who are struggling to survive. Look at her stomach, she says! An entire month without bread means no flesh, just bones, she said, citing the lack of food.
Al-Quraan claimed she tried to leave empty-handed but instead tried to get some food in a crowded soup kitchen. She continued, “I only discovered a few dry pasta shells on the floor.”
Aid entering Gaza is still far below the required levels despite growing needs. The majority of the population is not reached by the aid flow into Gaza, according to Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for UNRWA, the organization that provides refuge for Palestinian refugees.
To meet basic humanitarian needs, Gaza needs at least 500 to 600 aid trucks each day, according to the UN. Over the past four days, only 269 trucks have gotten into the area.
According to Tareq Abu Azzoum of Al Jazeera, the majority of them were looted by “hungry crowds.” “Now, it’s not very shocking to loot.” A starving population that has been denied access to food, water, and medical supplies has had a predictable outcome for a long time.
He continued, “People have gone days without getting any kind of food.” “The Gaza Strip’s trucks are not able to meet the population’s needs,” the statement says.
According to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, dozens of elderly people have died in displacement camps as a result of starvation, malnähriation, or a lack of care, according to a report released by the organization.
Due to the ministry’s lack of a transparent reporting system and the tendency of families to immediatelybury their loved ones, many of these deaths were identified as natural causes, according to the group’s statement on X.
In addition, it stated that over the past two weeks, there have been “unprecedented surges” in daily deaths in hospitals and primary care settings, with hundreds of elderly patients visiting “states of extreme exhaustion, seeking nutritional fluids.”
Israeli bombardment continues.
According to medical sources, at least 15 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Wednesday in Gaza.
That includes the three people who, at the very least, were killed in two separate Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, including Palestinian photojournalist Ibrahim Mahmoud Hajjaj, 35. Two people were killed and others were hurt in a strike that occurred close to the Az-Zahra School in the central Daraj neighborhood. Hajjaj was killed in a second strike in Gaza City’s eastern region.
Since October 7, 178 journalists have been killed in Israel’s occupation of Gaza, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 60 Palestinians have been killed and more than 146, 000 others have been injured in Israeli attacks since the start of the conflict, according to the country’s health ministry. During the Hamas-led attack on October 7, an estimated 1, 139 people were killed in Israel, and more than 200 others were taken prisoner.
threat of annexation in Gaza
A Palestinian minister made the suggestion of annexing parts of Gaza, which would undermine any hope for a two-state solution and further cement Israel’s occupation in violation of international law.
Security cabinet member Zeev Elkin claimed that Israel may give Hamas the ultimatum to reach a deal before extending its military operations, accusing the organization of trying to drag out ceasefire negotiations to snag Israeli concessions.
Losing lands is his contention, saying that it is the enemy’s most agonizing experience. A significant pressure tool would be to say to Hamas that they will lose land that they will never recover from playing games with them.
The remarks were made shortly after Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu claimed the Israeli government was “advancing the destruction of Gaza.”
Eliyahu stated on Haredi radio station Kol Barama, “The government is racing ahead for Gaza to be completely eradicated.” We are eliminating this evil, God bless. We are promoting “My Mein Kampf” among the population that has been educated, he said, referring to Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany’s Nazi Party,’s autobiography and political work from 1925.
Eliyahu’s remarks sparked widespread outcry, including from the coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, Israeli media reports suggest that the government is putting together a formal ceasefire ultimatum against Hamas: accept them or be subject to territory annexation.
According to Channel 13 in Israel, Israel may attempt to annex land close to the Gaza perimeter fence by pushing up to a kilometer inside the Strip.
As Hamas and Israel continue to negotiate in mediation with American, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators, these threats come as negotiations continue. According to Channel 12, Israel has proposed a 60-day ceasefire that would call for the withdrawal of allies from Gaza but not the end of the conflict.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Israel on Thursday to discuss “next steps” to take to resolve the situation, according to a US official. Donald Trump, the president of the United States, stated earlier this week that he anticipated more centers to be constructed in Gaza.
