Shafaq News – Gaza
At least 17 Palestinians, including three individuals seeking humanitarian aid, were killed by Israeli fire on Thursday, according to Palestinian media outlets, as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis continues to intensify under a prolonged blockade.
The Government Media Office in Gaza reported that famine is spreading rapidly across the enclave, attributing the deterioration to the complete closure of all Israeli-controlled border crossings for the past 145 days.
Since October 7, 2023, hospitals have recorded over 115 deaths linked to starvation and malnutrition, within a total death toll that now nears 60,000.
The office estimated that Gaza requires a minimum of 500,000 flour bags weekly to prevent further collapse of essential services, urging the international community to facilitate the immediate and sustained entry of food, medicine, and infant formula to the more than 2.4 million residents living under siege.
Responding to reports on social media suggesting an improvement in humanitarian conditions or the entry of large numbers of aid trucks, the office rejected these claims, describing them as inconsistent with on-the-ground realities and warning against what it called a “deliberate distortion of the ongoing crime.”
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) expressed concern about the strain on humanitarian personnel. “Starving and exhausted, medical and humanitarian workers are fainting while on duty,” the agency wrote on X, renewing its call for a ceasefire and coordinated aid delivery at scale.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor reported a rise in child and elderly deaths due to hunger, two months after the launch of a new aid distribution mechanism. It cited continued access restrictions, violence near aid sites, and logistical failures as contributing factors.
Meanwhile, the Gaza-based Palestinian Tribal and Clan Council warned of a worsening water crisis, pointing to the near-total lack of potable water following the destruction of infrastructure and disruption of key water sources. The council called for international intervention to address what it described as “a life-threatening shortage.”
Protests have taken place in cities across Europe and North America, including London, Paris, Brussels, Copenhagen, Vienna, New York, and Chicago, calling for increased aid and an end to hostilities. In Vienna, demonstrators banged empty pots to draw attention to Gaza’s food crisis. Demonstrations were also reported in Tel Aviv, where protesters criticized Israeli policy toward the Gaza blockade.