By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
ISRAELI forces, on Sunday, shot dead four Palestinians attempting to reach food aid south of Gaza City, according to a hospital and eyewitnesses.
The victims were travelling through a military zone commonly used to access a distribution point when troops opened fire near the Netzarim corridor, witnesses told our source. Al-Awda Hospital confirmed receiving the bodies.
“The gunfire was indiscriminate,” said Mohamed Abed, a father of two from Bureij refugee camp, who was among those seeking aid. Another aid-seeker, Aymed Sayyad, said soldiers opened fire when some in the crowd moved forward before the site’s scheduled opening. He added that he helped evacuate two wounded people.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the U.S.-backed contractor operating the aid site, denied the incident took place near its facility. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
Growing Toll From Hunger
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported eight more malnutrition-related deaths on Sunday, including that of a child, bringing the total to 289 since the start of the war. At least 115 of the victims were children.
According to the ministry, 62,686 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, including more than 2,000 who died and 13,500 wounded while seeking aid along distribution points and convoy routes. Nearly half of those killed have been women and children, the ministry said.
The United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed last week that famine has taken hold in Gaza City, warning it could spread south to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by late September. Aid agencies blame Israeli restrictions on food and medical supplies, while Israel has dismissed reports of starvation as “lies” promoted by Hamas.
Military Escalation Around Gaza City
Meanwhile, Israeli forces intensified bombardments on Jabaliya refugee camp, north of Gaza City. Residents reported “non-stop explosions” and widespread destruction.
“They want it like Rafah,” said displaced resident Ossama Matter, referring to the southern city flattened earlier in the war. Teacher Salim Dhaher described seeing Israeli robots planting explosives, which he feared were part of efforts to drive Palestinians from the area.
Israel’s defence minister has warned that Gaza City, home to hundreds of thousands of civilians, could be destroyed in an imminent offensive. Yet many residents remain, exhausted by repeated displacements and sceptical that so-called humanitarian zones offer safety.
War At A Crossroads
The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people in Israel and abducted 251 others. Fifty hostages remain in Gaza, with about 20 believed to be alive.
Families of hostages fear a ground assault on Gaza City could further endanger them. Calls within Israel for a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal are growing, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected proposals endorsed by Hamas and Arab mediators.
Hamas said Sunday it had accepted a new partial deal and remained open to a wider agreement, but claimed Netanyahu “rejects all solutions.”
Source: Associate Press
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