Gaza Aid Crisis Deepens Amidst Continued Israeli Fire and Fuel Blockade
Even as a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced, bloodshed continued in Gaza with Israeli forces killing another 46 Palestinians who were awaiting humanitarian aid on Tuesday, Arab News reported. In one incident, 21 individuals died from Israeli fire near an aid hub in the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, where witnesses reported troops “opened fire randomly” into a crowd of approximately 50,000 people. A separate event in southern Gaza saw 25 people killed near another aid hub, with a civil defense spokesman stating that Israeli forces targeted civilian gatherings with bullets and tank shells.
Since late May, the Gaza Health Ministry reports at least 516 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 3,800 injured by Israeli fire while attempting to obtain food. Aid distribution has been managed by the controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a system criticized by UN agencies. The head of UNRWA labeled the system an “abomination,” while a UN human rights office spokesman condemned the “weaponization of food.”
Compounding the crisis, UN humanitarians have issued dire warnings about a persistent fuel blockade in Gaza, Muslim Mirror revealed in a recent article. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) emphasized that a continued fuel shortage would lead to more deaths, particularly among children. Fuel is critical for water production, treatment, and distribution to over 2 million Palestinians. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported a nearly 50% surge in acute malnutrition admissions in May, highlighting the urgent need for domestic water as systems collapse due to lack of fuel.
OCHA confirmed that while some fuel from Rafah is being allocated for critical services, more must be allowed into Gaza to prevent a complete shutdown of essential lifelines. Humanitarian access remains severely restricted, with many aid movements, including vital fuel and water deliveries, denied by Israeli authorities. Furthermore, continuous displacement orders, such as the latest for three neighborhoods in Jabalya impacting 30,000 people, exacerbate the dire shelter crisis, as shelter materials have been banned for over 16 weeks.
According to an official report released on Monday by the Gaza Health Ministry, the enduring conflict has seen a total of 55,998 fatalities since October 7, 2023, until mid-June 2025. This includes a devastating 17,121 children and 9,126 women, with 4,137 women over sixty.
