At least 94 Palestinians were fatally injured by Israeli military gunfire throughout Gaza on Sunday while attempting to obtain food assistance, as reported by local health authorities and hospital morgue representatives, marking one of the most lethal days in recent months for those in search of aid.
The most tragic event occurred in northern Gaza, close to the Israeli border region of Zikim, where a minimum of 81 Palestinians lost their lives while attempting to seize bags of flour for bread from U. N. World Food Programme vehicles entering from Israel.
The Palestinian Red Crescent noted that Israeli military forces had “targeted non-combatants awaiting humanitarian aid” north of Beit Lahia. The organization indicated that a field hospital it operates in Gaza City had treated 95 individuals with injuries, several of whom were in critical condition.
In a declaration, the Israel Defense Forces stated that its personnel confronted thousands of Palestinians assembled in northern Gaza and “discharged warning shots to mitigate an immediate threat directed at them. ”
The Israeli military remarked that it was investigating the incident but that an “initial assessment indicates that the reported casualty figures do not correspond with the information possessed by the IDF.”
Since May, the WFP has been providing food assistance to Gaza through a distinct program separate from the food distribution system supported by the U. S. and Israel. Numerous WFP aid trucks have been looted by armed factions and desperate crowds upon entering Gaza.
In a statement, the WFP mentioned that its 25-truck convoy had been cleared from checkpoints to access Gaza on Sunday morning when it encountered large assemblies of “hungry civilians” and subsequently came under gunfire.
“WFP emphasizes that any violence involving civilians pursuing humanitarian aid is wholly intolerable,” stated the organization. “We persist in urging for the safeguarding of all civilians and aid personnel delivering vital assistance. ”
Sunday emerged as one of the most fatal days Gaza health officials have documented in recent months for Palestinians seeking aid amidst severe food shortages and pervasive hunger.
