The death toll in Gaza has continued to rise, with at least 139 Palestinians killed and 487 wounded in Israeli airstrikes over the past 24 hours, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
The ministry also reported that three more bodies were recovered from beneath rubble caused by earlier attacks.
The latest count includes 223 deaths newly confirmed by a judicial committee reviewing reports of missing persons.
Among those killed in the past day, 39 were aid seekers who arrived at hospitals, with over 210 others injured. The Health Ministry said the total number of aid seekers killed since the start of the conflict has now reached 640.
One of the deadliest strikes occurred in the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, where a tent was hit, killing 13 people – among them a couple and their four children.
Another attack struck the Mustafa Hafez School, which was sheltering displaced residents in western Gaza City, resulting in 11 fatalities.
An air strike near the Nabulsi Roundabout, also west of Gaza City, left at least six people dead and around 100 injured, many of whom were reportedly waiting for aid.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has urged an independent investigation into the deaths and injuries of Palestinians attempting to access food via the current US- and Israeli-supported aid delivery system in Gaza.
In a statement posted on X, the agency accused Israeli forces of opening fire on civilians and of people being fatally crushed by aid trucks.
“Lift the siege now,” UNRWA said. “Aid delivery must be safe, dignified and accessible to all. Let the UN, including UNRWA, do the work.”
UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese has urged states to impose a full arms embargo and sever trade and financial ties with Israel, which she accused of carrying out “one of the cruellest genocides in modern history” in Gaza.
Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council, Albanese presented a report naming more than 60 companies allegedly involved in supporting Israeli settlements and military operations in Gaza.
“This is not just a list; it’s a system,” she said. “We must reverse the tide.” She called on countries to suspend trade agreements and hold corporations accountable for violations of international law.