The United Nations human rights office reported Tuesday that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to access food aid in Gaza — most near sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.-backed Israeli contractor.
Israel Denies Targeting Civilians, Blames Hamas
Israel claims Hamas is diverting aid, though it has yet to provide evidence of any large-scale theft. The Israeli military says it only fires warning shots near aid distribution points and blames UN agencies for delivery failures. GHF has dismissed the UN’s figures as “false and exaggerated.”
Meanwhile, at least 25 people were killed across Gaza on Tuesday in Israeli airstrikes, according to local health officials. One strike reportedly hit tents housing displaced families in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp, killing 12, including three children and three women.
Starvation Crisis Deepens
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. The Gaza Health Ministry said 101 people — including 80 children — have died of starvation in recent days. The claims are difficult to independently verify, but the UN World Food Program says Gaza’s hunger crisis has reached “new and astonishing levels of desperation.”
Nearly 100,000 women and children are now suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and a third of Gaza’s population is going multiple days without food, according to the WFP.
MedGlobal, a medical charity, reported five children as young as three months died from starvation in just the past three days.
“This is a deliberate and human-made disaster,” said Joseph Belliveau, the group’s executive director. “These children died because there isn’t enough food, medicine, or formula in Gaza.”
Even MedGlobal staff are reportedly struggling with dizziness and headaches due to food shortages.
1,054 Killed at Aid Sites
The UN estimates that 1,054 Palestinians have been killed trying to access food since late May. Of those, 766 died near GHF sites. Others were killed during chaos around UN aid convoys or food distribution points.
UN spokesperson Thameen al-Kheetan said the numbers come from multiple credible sources, including medics, aid workers, and human rights organizations. Israeli forces and GHF both deny targeting civilians and claim any gunfire was meant to disperse crowds or prevent stampedes.
A joint statement by 28 Western-aligned nations, including France and the UK, condemned Israel’s aid policies as “inhumane” and accused its government of “denying basic human dignity” to Gaza’s civilians.
Israel and the U.S. rejected the criticism, blaming Hamas for prolonging the war by refusing ceasefire terms and continuing to hold hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and led to the current war.
Chaos at Aid Sites
In Gaza City, displaced residents lined up at a charity kitchen for watery tomato soup and scraps of eggplant. As food ran out, chaos erupted.
“I do it for my children,” said Nadia Mdoukh, a pregnant mother of three living in a tent. “There is no bread or flour. This is famine.”
An overnight strike near another aid truck gathering killed eight and wounded at least 118, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
“A bag of flour covered in blood and death,” said Mohammed Issam, a witness. “How long will this humiliation continue?”
The Israeli military said it was unaware of any strikes on shelters or crowds and continues to place blame on Hamas for embedding in civilian areas.
War Toll Mounts
The conflict reignited in March after a brief ceasefire collapsed. Despite U.S. pressure, truce negotiations have stalled.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, over half of them women and children. While the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants, UN agencies consider its casualty counts credible.
Hamas is reportedly holding fewer than 50 hostages, with many feared dead. The group has said it will only release them in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal — demands Israel continues to reject.
