Gaza Aid Seekers Slain by Israeli Fire; U.S. Diplomat Conferring with Captives' Relatives
In the Gaza Strip, a dire humanitarian situation is unfolding, marked by military actions targeting civilians seeking aid. Since late May 2025, the US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has been operating, but the ongoing hostilities have resulted in tragic consequences.
Over 1,400 people have been killed and over 4,000 injured while trying to access food at GHF aid distribution sites. A staggering 859 deaths have occurred around these sites alone. The violence includes indiscriminate fire from Israeli forces and foreign military contractors against civilians queuing for aid.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that since the war began, 93 children have died from malnutrition-related causes. The blockade and military actions have forcibly displaced over 90% of Gaza’s population, intensifying hunger and desperation.
The ministry, which operates under the Hamas government, is considered the most reliable source of data on casualties by the U.N. and other international organizations. Despite some announced humanitarian facilitation measures, such as local pauses in military activity, airdrops, and securing aid convoy routes, attacks and killing of civilians continue unabated.
Experts warn of a "worst-case scenario of famine" in Gaza. Trucks that enter Gaza are often stripped of supplies by desperate people and criminal groups before reaching warehouses for distribution. Far too little aid is coming into Gaza, with months of supplies piled up outside waiting for Israeli approval.
The ongoing violence has resulted in numerous tragic incidents. The Israeli strikes on tents sheltering displaced people in Gaza's south resulted in the death of five people. Another strike hit a tent in Khan Younis, killing a mother and her daughter. A strike hit a house between the towns of Zawaida and Deir al-Balah, killing two parents and their three children.
The U.N. and partners say 500 to 600 trucks of aid are needed daily in Gaza. Yet, since late June, when the ministry started counting adult deaths, 76 adults have died of malnutrition-related causes. On Saturday, Gaza's health ministry reported seven deaths due to malnutrition-related causes, including a child.
The war has mostly killed civilians, with women and children making up over half the dead. Since the conflict escalated, over 60,000 Palestinians have died. The Israeli top general, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, warned that "combat will continue without rest" if hostages aren't freed.
The troubled aid system in Gaza has drawn criticism from experts who claim it is part of misleading humanitarian efforts masking ongoing war crimes, including deliberate starvation and obstructing aid delivery to the most vulnerable groups—women, children, disabled, and elderly persons. The U.S. ambassador, however, called the system an "incredible feat."
UN experts condemn targeting civilians or blocking aid as war crimes and stress the urgent need for political solutions to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe. The situation in Gaza constitutes a severe humanitarian crisis with documented war crimes, drawing calls from UN experts for immediate intervention and dismantling of the problematic aid framework.
- The dire situation in the Gaza Strip, marked by military actions, has resulted in a high number of deaths and injuries among people trying to access food at aid distribution sites, causing concern for health and wellness, particularly in the context of chronic diseases and malnutrition.
- Despite the efforts of the US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the ongoing hostilities have exacerbated medical-conditions, with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting that 93 children have died from malnutrition-related causes since the war began.
- The troubled aid system in Gaza, under scrutiny for being part of misleading humanitarian efforts, has drawn criticism from experts who claim it obstructs aid delivery to vulnerable groups, such as women, children, disabled, and elderly persons, which can be considered as a violation of human rights and health-and-wellness standards.
- Political solutions are urgently needed to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as the situation has been marked by war crimes, including the targeting of civilians and blocking of aid, according to UN experts.
- Crime-and-justice issues also arise in Gaza, as trucks delivering aid are often stripped of supplies by desperate people and criminal groups, exacerbating the general-news topic of inadequate aid distribution and access there.
