Over 60 people have been killed by Israeli troops in northern Gaza while waiting for food. Image: Getty Images via The Economist.
(The Post News)– Over 60 Palestinians died waiting for food near a crossing in Northern Gaza, while hundreds of others were left injured on Wednesday, as the United States’s special envoy Steve Witkoff visits Israel.
Casualties from the incident were seen in footage close to the Zikim crossing being moved in carts to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. After the incident, al-Shifa Hospital reported that it received over 100 deceased and injured people. The death toll is expected to increase. Moreover, on Thursday, Israeli troops killed 19 Palestinians who were seeking aid outside aid distribution sites in Southern Gaza, Rafah, and Central Gaza.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, Israeli forces opened fire on the masses gathered around relief trucks. However, the Israeli military claimed that crowds of Gazans were seen gathering near aid trucks and “in close proximity” to Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) stationed there. The military said that the IDF responded to the ”threat posed to them” by firing warning bullets in the area, which were not aimed at the crowd. The IDF also stated an initial inquiry indicated that it ”was not aware of any casualties” resulting from the fired warning shots. Furthermore, the specifics of the incidents are under investigation.
Meanwhile, Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Israeli authorities, who are contemplating severe actions against Hamas following the ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations that stopped a week ago. Reports have stated that Witkoff is also scheduled to visit IAD distribution sites managed by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by the U.S. and Israel. His visit to the sites will take place amid growing global outrage over the grave humanitarian crisis affecting Palestine.
On Wednesday, Gaza’s health ministry announced seven more fatalities from malnutrition, increasing the total to 154 since the conflict began. This announcement came a day after global food specialists, supported by the United Nations (UN), issued a warning that the most catastrophic scenario of starvation was “currently playing out” within the 2.1 million population.
Moreover, as Israel is in control of AID supplies entering Gaza, UN agencies have noted that there is a man-made mass famine in Gaza and blamed Israel for it. Israel has, however, maintained that there are no limits on AID supplies, nor is there starvation. Nevertheless, four days ago, Israel introduced measures that it claimed are intended to assist the UN and other agencies in gathering aid from crossings and distributing it throughout Gaza. These measures include the establishment of “designated humanitarian corridors” and everyday “tactical pauses” in combat operations within three areas.
The UN humanitarian offices noted that the “tactical pauses” hinder the ongoing delivery of supplies needed to meet the population’s massive demands. The offices also said that severely starving crowds continue to unload supplies from trucks passing through Israeli crossings.
Social order has collapsed as famine in Gaza has worsened—hundreds of starving Gazans frequently assemble in groups, waiting for the rare relief truck to enter Gaza and then loot it once it arrives. Hundreds of people have been shot, usually by Israeli troops, while waiting for aid trucks at border crossings and attempting to obtain aid from the GHF.
With Witkoff visiting Israel, U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Hamas to surrender and free all Israeli hostages. According to Trump, this is the quickest way to end Gaza’s humanitarian challenges. There are roughly 50 remaining hostages held by Hamas, and 20 are believed to be alive.
The outcry sparked by images of malnourished people in Gaza has put Israel under intense international scrutiny. Over a dozen nations have publicly criticized Israel for its action toward Gaza and started measures of officially recognizing the Palestinian state.
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