DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip – On Tuesday, the plight of Palestinians striving for aid in Gaza intensified as gunfire erupted, resulting in 36 fatalities and 207 injuries, as reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry. Humanitarian agencies and subject-matter experts assert that the ongoing blockade by Israel along with its two-year military engagement has pushed Gaza to the brink of a famine.
A minimum of 163 individuals have lost their lives, with 1,495 suffering injuries in shootings near humanitarian aid centers managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an entity supported by both the U.S. and Israel. These sites reside within military zones, which are inaccessible to independent media. The Israeli military has admitted to previously firing warning shots on numerous occasions towards individuals it perceived as approaching suspiciously.
The foundation maintains that incidents of violence have not occurred in proximity to the distribution points themselves. However, they have advised citizens to stay on marked access routes and temporarily halted deliveries last week to engage in discussions with the military aimed at enhancing safety protocols.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that there is “meaningful progress” toward a possible truce deal that could also secure the release of some of the 55 hostages still in Gaza. Nonetheless, he cautioned that it’s “too early to hope.” The Israeli Foreign Minister echoed similar sentiments, affirming advancements in ceasefire dialogues. As prospects for peace loomed, Netanyahu convened with the Israeli negotiating panel and defense officials to carve out subsequent steps.
In the southern region of Gaza, notably near Rafah, eight individuals perished while attempting to collect aid, according to sources from Nasser Hospital. In the north, al-Awda Hospital reported that two men and a child were killed during these endeavors, with 130 others wounded, predominantly from gunshots. According to witnesses, the Israeli forces initiated gunfire around 2 a.m., some hundreds of meters away from central aid distribution sites. These sites usually see desperate crowds assemble before dawn in hopes of avoiding the influx.
The Israeli military stated that the shots were initially intended as warnings fired at suspects deemed as potential threats. The claim was that these individuals advanced toward the troops, placing themselves hundreds of meters from aid distribution points before opening hours.
Resident Mohammed Abu Hussein from the Bureij refugee camp witnessed Israeli drones and tanks discharging weapons, observing injuries amidst the chaos. Another bystander, Abed Haniyah, alleged indiscriminate targeting by Israeli forces as multitudes sought access to scarce food resources.
Moreover, the health ministry confirmed that three Palestinian medics were killed in an Israeli strike within Gaza City. They were responding to an earlier attack when a second strike hit. While the Israeli military did not address the incident, over recent days, it claimed attacks on several Hamas military facilities.
In contrast, the new aid distribution mechanism introduced by Israel, alongside the U.S., is purportedly designed to prevent Hamas from seizing humanitarian resources and diverting them for militia financing. But the U.N. suggests there’s no evidence of such diversion, prompting its agencies, alongside major aid groups, to refuse collaboration, labeling the system as contradictory to humanitarian principles. This new setup, critics argue, allows Israel to control aid receipts, forcing Palestinians to migrate to limited operational sites, a move which has led to discontent in the community.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s proposals for establishing a “sterile zone” in Rafah, devoid of Hamas, and encouraging voluntary emigration from Gaza have sparked international debate. Palestinian leaders critique this as an act tantamount to forced expulsion.
The conflict dates to an October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militants, leading to the death of approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel, with the kidnapping of 251 more. Subsequently, Israel’s military operations have claimed nearly 55,000 Palestinian lives, overwhelmingly comprising women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Notably, Israel argues the majority were militants but has not substantiated these claims.
The human toll and infrastructural havoc wreaked by this prolonged conflict have left vast areas in Gaza devastated, displacing approximately 90% of its inhabitants, tragically multiple times over the course of the conflict.