Israeli gunfire and airstrikes have claimed the lives of at least 60 Palestinians in Gaza, with the majority of casualties occurring near a humanitarian aid site in the center of the enclave, according to health officials.
The facility is managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which receives support from the United States and Israel.
Medical authorities at Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals reported that at least 25 individuals were killed and many others injured as they approached a food distribution center near the former Jewish settlement of Netzarim.
Israel’s military, currently engaged in conflict with Hamas militants since October 2023, stated that its forces fired warning shots at a group deemed a threat to troops in the Netzarim Corridor area.
Subsequently, health officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza confirmed that Israeli gunfire had resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people as they neared another GHF site in Rafah.
The GHF accused Hamas of causing the deaths of at least five individuals in an attack on a bus transporting two dozen Palestinians affiliated with the organization to one of its distribution locations.
“We will persist in our mission to deliver critical aid to the people of Gaza,” the foundation stated.
The GHF previously mentioned that it was unaware of incidents involving civilians but emphasized its collaboration with Israeli authorities to maintain safe passage routes while urging Palestinians to closely adhere to instructions.
“Ultimately, the solution lies in increased aid, which would foster greater certainty and reduce urgency among the population,” it added in its statement.
“Current food supplies are insufficient to meet the needs of everyone in Gaza. Our priority is to provide sustenance to as many individuals as is safely feasible within a highly volatile environment.”
GHF reported that it distributed 2.5 million meals yesterday, representing the largest single-day delivery since its inception, bringing the total to over 16 million meals provided since operations commenced late last month.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza announced that, up until this time, 163 Palestinians have been killed and over 1,000 injured while attempting to secure food boxes.
The United Nations condemned the killings and declined to supply aid via the foundation, citing its use of private contractors backed by the Israeli military as a breach of humanitarian standards.
Latest Middle East stories
In other parts of Gaza, the health ministry reported that at least 11 people lost their lives due to separate Israeli gunfire and airstrikes across the territory.
The conflict began 20 months ago after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 individuals, primarily civilians, on what became Israel’s deadliest day, 7 October 2023.
Nearly 55,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have perished in Israel’s military campaign, as per health authorities in Gaza.
The military action has devastated much of the densely populated enclave, home to over two million people.
The majority of the population has been displaced, and widespread malnutrition is prevalent.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Tuesday that there had been “significant progress” in efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza but cautioned that it was “too soon” to raise hopes for a potential agreement.
Two sources from Hamas indicated they were unaware of any breakthroughs in negotiations.
UN to vote on demand for immediate Gaza ceasefire
The United Nations General Assembly is set to vote today on a draft resolution that calls for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, following the US veto of a similar measure in the Security Council last week.
According to diplomats, the 193-member assembly is anticipated to adopt the resolution with overwhelming support, even as Israel has lobbied countries this week against participating, characterizing the resolution as a “politically motivated, counter-productive charade.”
Though General Assembly resolutions are not binding, they hold significance as a reflection of global opinion on the conflict.
Past demands from the body for an end to hostilities have gone unheeded. Unlike the Security Council, no country holds a veto in the assembly.
The vote comes ahead of a UN conference next week aimed at revitalizing international efforts toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The US has advised countries against attending.
Washington cautioned that “nations engaging in anti-Israel actions immediately following the conference will be perceived as acting against US foreign policy interests and may face diplomatic repercussions.”
Last week, the United States vetoed a draft Security Council resolution that also called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” alongside unhindered aid access in Gaza, arguing the measure would undermine US-led ceasefire negotiations.
The other 14 council members voted in favor of the draft.
A charity distributes hot meals at Nuseirat Refugee Camp in Gaza City
The draft resolution before the General Assembly demands the release of hostages held by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
It also calls for unhindered aid access and “strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access, depriving civilians… of necessary survival objects, including willfully impeding relief supply and access.”
“This is both false and defamatory,” Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, stated in a letter to member nations.
He labeled the General Assembly draft resolution as “immensely flawed and harmful,” urging countries to avoid participating in what he described as a “farce” undermining hostage negotiations and failing to condemn Hamas.
In October 2023, the assembly called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, achieving 120 votes in favor.
In December 2023, 153 countries voted for an immediate humanitarian truce.
Subsequently, in December, the body demanded—garnering 158 votes in favor—an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire.
