Israeli gunfire and airstrikes killed at least 140 people across Gaza in the last 24 hours, local health officials reported. Many Palestinians feel their suffering is being overlooked as the world’s attention turns to the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.
The Gaza health ministry confirmed that 40 people died on Wednesday due to Israeli attacks, including civilians waiting for aid. Separate airstrikes hit homes in Maghazi refugee camp, Zeitoun neighborhood, and Gaza City, killing 21 people. Another five died in an airstrike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Medics also reported that 14 Palestinians were shot and killed while waiting for United Nations aid trucks along Salahuddin Road in central Gaza. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated they fired warning shots at people who posed threats near their forces, denying knowledge of injuries in that incident.
Since aid deliveries partially resumed in late May, Gaza’s health ministry said 397 Palestinians trying to get food have been killed and over 3,000 wounded. Many in Gaza express concern that their daily struggles are ignored amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.
Israel now channels much of Gaza’s aid through the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which works with private security and logistics firms. However, Palestinians accuse Israel of using hunger as a weapon, while Israel insists aid does not reach Hamas.
The World Food Programme warned that the current food supplies in Gaza are only a small fraction of what is needed. As many gather along supply routes risking their lives for aid, humanitarian groups condemn the violence against civilians seeking life-saving assistance. Meanwhile, Palestinians hope for a peaceful end to the ongoing Gaza war, fearing they have been forgotten.