DEIR EL-BALAHA A local hospital that treated the victims reported that at least 48 Palestinians were killed and numerous others were injured on Wednesday while they were queuing for food at a crossing in the Gaza Strip. The U.S. envoy to the Middle East was on his way to Israel for negotiations when the most recent violence surrounding aid distribution occurred.
According to the main worldwide authority on hunger crises, Israel’s continuous military offensive and siege have caused the worst-case scenario of famine in the coastal territory of about 2 million Palestinians. Aid convoys have been overrun by frantic crowds due to a breakdown in law and order.
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In order to discuss the situation in Gaza, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has spearheaded the Trump administration’s efforts to end the almost 22-month conflict and free captives abducted in the Hamas Oct. 7 attack that started the hostilities, will arrive in Israel on Thursday.
While survivors carry flour, ambulances transport the deceased.
Crowds gathered at the Zikim Crossing, the primary entrance point for humanitarian aid into northern Gaza, according to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, which said that the dead and injured were among them. The Israeli military, which oversees the bridge, did not immediately respond, and it was unclear who started the shooting.
Associated Press footage showed hundreds of people carrying bags of flour and bodies being transported from the shooting area in wooden carts and ambulances.
More than 100 people were killed and injured at Al-Saraya Field Hospital, which stabilizes serious cases before they are sent to larger hospitals. The head of the emergency service for the Gaza Health Ministry, Fares Awad, stated that some remains were transferred to other hospitals, suggesting that the death toll may increase.
Health officials said that at least 46 Palestinians had been murdered by Israeli strikes and gunfire overnight and into Wednesday, the majority of whom were in food-seeking crowds. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that seven more Palestinians, including a child, perished from malnutrition-related causes.
Regarding all of the strikes, the Israeli military refrained from commenting right away. It claims that because Hamas’ militants operate in heavily populated areas, it exclusively targets militants and holds the group accountable for civilian casualties.
Although Israel has relaxed its siege, there are still challenges.
Israel took a number of steps over the weekend to allow more foreign aid to enter Gaza in response to intense international criticism, but relief workers say much more is required.
The primary global authority on hunger crises, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, warned of “widespread death” unless quick action is taken, but refrained from officially declaring famine in Gaza on Tuesday.
More than 220 vehicles entered Gaza on Tuesday, according to COGAT, the Israeli military agency that handles humanitarian entry. That is far less than the 500–600 trucks per day that were allowed during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year, according to U.N. agencies.
The majority of vehicles are unloaded by crowds in Israeli military-controlled areas, making it difficult for the UN to deliver the relief that does enter the strip. Violence has also plagued the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or GHF, an alternative relief organization supported by Israel.
According to witnesses, local health officials, and the U.N. human rights office, Israeli fire has killed over 1,000 Palestinians since May as they were attempting to obtain aid, the majority of whom were near GHF-run sites. GHF claims its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to avert dangerous crowds, while the Israeli military claims it has only fired warning shots at anyone who approaches its personnel.
Aid has already resumed via international airdrops, but many of the packages have fallen in locations where Palestinians have been ordered to leave, and some have sunk into the Mediterranean Sea, forcing people to swim out to retrieve soaked flour bags.
Malnutrition-related deaths
Since the start of the conflict in Gaza, 89 children have perished from starvation. According to the ministry, since it began keeping track of adult deaths in late June, 65 Palestinian adults have also perished in Gaza from reasons related to hunger.
Israel claims that the emphasis on hunger jeopardizes ceasefire attempts and denies that there is any starving in Gaza, denying reports to the contrary from humanitarian organizations, U.N. agencies, and witnesses.
Hamas launched the conflict on October 7, 2023, when militants attacked southern Israel, killing almost 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 more. About 20 of the 50 hostages they still have are thought to be alive. In ceasefires or other agreements, the majority of the remaining hostages were freed.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 60,000 Palestinians. The count does not differentiate between civilians and militants. The Hamas government is in charge of the ministry. It is regarded as the most trustworthy source of casualty data by the United Nations and other international organizations.
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Abou Aljoud reported from Beirut, and Magdy from Cairo. This report was written by Matthew Lee of the Associated Press in Washington.
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Visit https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war to follow AP’s coverage of the conflict.
