GAZA – Israeli air strikes killed at least 43 Palestinians across Gaza on Monday, including 13 aid seekers who were trying to collect food for their families, according to medical sources. The total Palestinian death toll in the ongoing war has now crossed 56,000.
Among the dead were 20 people struck while attempting to receive supplies from the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The United Nations has previously criticized GHF for “weaponizing aid” and placing civilians at risk. Since GHF began operations on May 27, more than 400 Palestinians have reportedly died near these aid centers.
Journalists on the ground described scenes of chaos and hunger, with desperate crowds gathering near food points in Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor. Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said Israel’s military continued its strikes “on tents and residential homes,” even as it remains involved in regional tensions with Iran.
Additional casualties were reported in northern Gaza’s Jabalia, where four civilians died in an air strike on a residential building. In Beit Lahiya, three brothers were killed while inspecting their damaged home. Central Gaza’s al-Awda Hospital treated at least 35 injured civilians and received two bodies after a strike on Salah al-Din Street, with 16 of the wounded in critical condition.
Meanwhile, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) raised alarm over Gaza’s worsening energy crisis. The group warned that Israel’s blockade has severely limited access to fuel and electricity, impacting hospitals and essential services. “In Gaza, energy is about survival,” said NRC’s Benedicte Giaever, urging international action to restore power.
As artillery continued to pound neighborhoods like Shujayea in eastern Gaza City, humanitarian organizations called on the global community to address both the violence and the essential needs of Gaza’s civilians, especially as healthcare systems near total collapse.