At Least 72 Palestinians Killed by Israeli Fire in Gaza Amid Ongoing Attacks on Aid Seekers

Palestinian health officials said that Israeli attacks on Wednesday killed at least 72 Palestinians, including 29 allegedly shot while seeking food aid. The most recent wave of assaults emphasizes a worsening humanitarian disaster in the encircled region, where desperate people keep their lives at risk for fundamental needs.

According to Al Jazeera, the most fatal incident happened on Salah al-Din Street close to the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza, where over 100 more people were wounded while waiting near aid trucks. Medical sources verified more deaths from Israeli attacks on houses and camps in Zeitoun, al-Mawasi, and the Maghazi refugee camp, where entire families were among the dead.

Local reporters and eyewitnesses claim Israeli forces are hitting civilians with tanks, drones, and sniper fire as they approach aid distribution sites run by the debatable Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group supported by Israel and the U.S. but rejected by the UN and major humanitarian groups.

Ahmed Ghaben, whose nephew was among those killed, remarked, These people are not militants. They’re starving civilians seeking flour.” He went to feed his youngsters. He never showed back.”

Israeli authorities said they were looking over accounts of the deaths, but they had previously excused such actions by arguing the crowds could be a security threat—a claim international observers say lacks convincing evidence.

Mass Casualties, Delayed Assistance, and Rising Wrath

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, over 3,000 wounded and more than 397 Palestinians looking for help have died since late May under the GHF, following a near-total three-month blockade. Pointing to its lack of neutrality and possible participation in military actions, the UN has declined to support the GHF project.

Israeli forces allegedly killed at least 70 people during comparable aid-seeking events on Tuesday alone, making it the worst day yet for civilians at food distribution centers.

Coordination delays mean many bodies stay unrecovered. According to Al Jazeera, at least 20 bodies lay on the streets of northern Gaza for five days before the UN’s humanitarian coordination office gave paramedics approval.

Death toll in Gaza tops 55,000; hospitals on the brink.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the total number of Palestinians killed since Israel’s military campaign started in October 2023 is now at 55,637, with almost 130,000 wounded. Fuel shortages have driven the few hospitals left to the verge of collapse, with only three days of generator power available. Aid professionals caution that unless fuel is permitted into “red “zones”—places declared off-limits by Israeli soldiers—a complete medical shutdown is imminent.

Regional Tensions and Houthi Reaction

As global attention mostly centered on the increasing Israel-Iran conflict, pressure is increasing on world powers to solve the worsening situation in Gaza. Promising, “Our operations in support of Palestinians will not stop, whatever the sacrifices,” Mahdi al-Mashat, the Houthi-backed president in Yemen, pledged continuing military action in support of Gaza on Wednesday.

Simultaneously, international outcry against the civilian toll is building. Rights organizations and humanitarian organizations have called for independent inquiries into the recurring slaughter of aid seekers, claiming it may be a war crime.

With stalled diplomatic initiatives and quickly worsening humanitarian conditions, the situation in Gaza has reached a crucial turning point that observers caution could cause permanent damage if immediate action is not taken.