GAZA CITY (BN24) — At least 34 people were killed Saturday in Israeli military strikes across Gaza, including more than a dozen civilians waiting to collect humanitarian aid, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
Spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that nine people were killed and 181 wounded when Israeli forces opened fire near a northern Gaza border crossing frequently used for aid deliveries. Another six people were killed and 30 injured after Israeli troops targeted civilians gathered near an aid distribution point in central Gaza.
Further strikes in central Gaza caused multiple casualties, while a drone attack near the southern city of Khan Yunis killed at least three people and wounded several others, Bassal said. Due to media restrictions and limited access in Gaza, independent verification of the death toll and details remains difficult.
Thousands of Palestinians daily gather near food distribution sites across Gaza, including those managed by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Since late May, Israeli forces have repeatedly been reported firing on aid recipients in the territory, worsening the already dire humanitarian situation.
Israeli restrictions on essential supplies entering Gaza, imposed since the war began nearly two years ago, have created severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel critical for hospital generators. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces increasing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire to prevent widespread famine and to secure the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants.
Despite global condemnation and rumored dissent within Israeli military leadership, Israel’s security cabinet approved plans early Friday for a major ground operation to seize Gaza City. Netanyahu remains resolute, stating on social media, “We are not going to occupy Gaza — we are going to free Gaza from Hamas.”
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group responsible for the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the current war, condemned the planned escalation as a “new war crime.”
The ongoing conflict has exacted a heavy toll. According to Gaza’s health ministry, run by Hamas, over 61,000 Palestinians have been killed—a figure the United Nations considers credible. The Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, based on AFP tallies using official sources.
Credit: Punching.com
