Gaza: In the last 24 hours, more than 120 Palestinians have been killed across Gaza by Israeli forces, according to medical officials. Among the dead are scores of people who had gathered in desperation to receive humanitarian aid, as Israeli airstrikes and ground assaults continue unabated across the besieged territory. The overall death toll in the war has now surpassed 55,000, with the majority being women and children.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that at least 57 aid seekers were killed and 363 wounded since Wednesday morning. These casualties occurred at distribution sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial aid initiative backed by both Israel and the United States. The GHF operates in heavily militarized areas under Israeli control, including Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor.
Despite international criticism, Israel's Foreign Ministry hailed the GHF system as a “dramatic success.” However, rights groups and humanitarian agencies have condemned the operation, with the aid distribution zones being described as “human slaughterhouses.” Since GHF began its operations on May 27, over 220 people have been killed trying to access basic food supplies.
The Israeli army admitted to firing “warning shots” near the Netzarim Corridor overnight—where most of the aid-related deaths reportedly occurred. Gaza’s Government Media Office accused the Israeli military of intentionally fueling chaos by enforcing starvation and targeting civilians in need.
The United Nations strongly criticized the killings and has refused to cooperate with GHF, calling the initiative a violation of humanitarian norms. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) denounced the model as a diversion from broader atrocities, asserting that experienced aid agencies are fully capable of distributing aid effectively if allowed to operate.
Israel has barred UNRWA and other established aid organizations from working in Gaza, where famine conditions are increasingly dire. According to Chris Newton of the International Crisis Group, the aid structure imposed by Israel is designed to keep Palestinians in a state of desperation while pushing them southward. Newton also highlighted that GHF’s stated daily ration of 1,750 calories per person falls below international crisis standards and is comparable to rations used in historical starvation studies.
Elsewhere in Gaza, the toll of Israeli attacks continues to rise. An airstrike on Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood killed at least seven people, while drone and missile strikes in Jabalia, Nuseirat, and Khan Younis claimed more lives, including children. Displacement tents in Tiberias camp were also hit, adding to the growing list of civilian casualties.
Children have borne the brunt of the conflict, with the Health Ministry stating that the majority of the 55,104 people killed since October 7, 2023, are women and children. Al-Shifa Hospital, like other medical centers, has been pushed to the brink, unable to provide adequate care. UNICEF’s James Elder, reporting from the facility, described the situation as a “war on children,” with young patients suffering from severe burns and trauma.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to detain crew members from the Madleen, a humanitarian aid ship intercepted in international waters earlier this week. Twelve individuals, including activist Greta Thunberg, were on board. While Thunberg and three others were deported, eight remain in custody. Legal advocacy group Adalah has called for their release, citing reports of harsh treatment, including solitary confinement.
Among those detained are Rima Hassan, a French EU parliamentarian, and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, who is on a hunger and thirst strike. UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese has denounced the arrests as unlawful and called for the volunteers’ immediate release.
Amid these developments, the Israeli military announced it had recovered the bodies of two captives in Khan Younis, including soldier Yair Yaakov, during a joint operation with the Shin Bet intelligence agency.
