As the war that has engulfed the region shows no signs of abating, the violence surrounding aid access underscores the increasingly hazardous situation for those in Gaza who have been frantically seeking food and other relief. There seems to be no progress in the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, and it’s unclear if a truce will end the conflict permanently.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the number of Palestinians killed in the war-torn region has risen to over 58,800 as the negotiations continue. The ministry claims that over half of the deceased are women and children, although the total does not differentiate between terrorists and civilians. The U.N. and other international agencies consider the ministry, which is a part of the Hamas government, to be the most trustworthy source of information on casualties.
A new battleground may be emerging and pushing Palestinians into ever-tinier areas of Gaza, as Israel has expanded its evacuation orders for the region to include an area that has been slightly less severely affected than others.
WFP condemns violence at food distribution points
Israeli forces opened fire on crowds attempting to obtain food from a 25-truck convoy that had reached the heavily damaged area of northern Gaza on Sunday, according to the Health Ministry, witnesses, and a U.N. official.
These assertions are supported by the WFP statement, which stated that Israeli tanks, snipers, and other firearms fired against the mob encircling its convoy. The statement claimed that the incident alone claimed many lives, although it did not provide a death toll.
It stated that the event happened in spite of Israeli authorities’ promises that assistance delivery would increase and that “these people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation.” It stated that the absence of military personnel along assistance routes was one of those guarantees.
There must be an immediate halt to shootings near food handouts, convoys, and humanitarian missions.
Regarding the WFP allegations, the Israeli military chose not to comment. On X Sunday, military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani wrote that soldiers were instructed to “do not engage, do not shoot.” He also included a video of forces close to a group of Palestinians gathered around a truck while one soldier cries, “Do not shoot!” repeatedly. The location of the video’s filming was unclear, and the Associated Press was unable to confirm it right away.
Throughout the conflict, Israel has prohibited foreign media from entering Gaza, and it was impossible to independently confirm the conflicting reports.
The event on Sunday occurs at a time when Palestinians have significantly reduced access to help in the area and it is now dangerous to seek that aid. Violence and turmoil have engulfed a U.S.- and Israeli-backed relief system that has taken some aid delivery away from more established suppliers like the U.N. as Palestinians approaching its aid distribution sides have been targeted. According to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, most of the violence that has been reported has not happened in its locations.
Violence rages on in Gaza
According to Gaza health officials on Monday, Israeli attacks since the previous evening have killed at least 13 individuals, including two women and five children.
Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, the director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where the deceased were sent, said that at least two individuals were murdered Monday morning when throngs of Palestinians waiting for assistance vehicles were shot at in the Netzarim corridor area of central Gaza. “Israeli forces opened fire,” he claimed.
The Health Ministry reports that at least five persons were killed when an Israeli attack struck a tent in Khan Younis’ Muwasi neighborhood overnight. According to the statement, two parents, two of their children, and a relative are among the deceased.
Health officials said more strikes struck a residential structure in Gaza City and tents in the Muwasi neighborhood of Khan Younis.
Regarding the strikes, the Israeli military did not immediately comment. Because Hamas operates from populous areas, it holds the group accountable for civilian casualties.
Hamas started the conflict on October 7, 2023, when militants invaded southern Israel, killing almost 1,200 people and capturing 251 more. Though fewer than half are believed to be alive, fifty are still in Gaza.
Israel again struck rebels in Yemen
Conflicts have been sparked by the fighting in Gaza in other parts of the area, such as between Israel and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Iran and have fired drones and missiles at Israel in what they claim is solidarity with Palestinians.
The Israeli military claimed to have attacked Yemen’s Hodeidah port early on Monday when the Houthis were repairing the port’s infrastructure. Israel said that the Houthis launched missiles toward Israel from the port after receiving weaponry from Iran. The Israeli military claimed to have attacked the Houthi-used areas of the port and charged the group with utilizing civilian infrastructure for terrorist activities.
The targets included parts of the port that Israel has destroyed in earlier assaults, according to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. “The Houthis will pay heavy prices for launching missiles towards the state of Israel,” Katz stated. Two weeks ago, Israel last attacked the port of Hodeidah.
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Lidman reported from Jerusalem, and Magdy from Cairo.
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