Over 140 killed in Gaza amid aid crisis and escalating conflict

Over 140 killed in Gaza amid aid crisis and escalating conflict
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At least 140 Palestinians were killed across Gaza in the past 24 hours due to Israeli airstrikes and gunfire, according to Gaza’s health ministry, as attention shifts globally to the Israel-Iran conflict. Among the dead were 40 people killed on Wednesday alone, including those seeking humanitarian aid in central Gaza, Reuters reported.

Airstrikes on homes in the Maghazi refugee camp, Zeitoun neighborhood, and Gaza City killed at least 21 people, while five more died in Khan Younis. Fourteen Palestinians were reportedly killed when Israeli troops opened fire near aid trucks along Salahuddin Road. The Israeli military stated that the area was an active combat zone and that warning shots were fired at individuals approaching troops, but it was unaware of injuries.

Since Israel partially reopened aid routes in late May, nearly 400 Palestinians have been killed and over 3,000 injured while seeking food, officials said. The U.N. and aid groups have condemned the distribution system as inadequate and dangerous. The World Food Programme warned that the food delivered in recent weeks covers only a small fraction of the need and called for a significant scale-up. As war continues, some Gazans fear their suffering is being overshadowed by Israel’s conflict with Iran.

Israel insists it targets Hamas and avoids civilian harm, while Hamas accuses Israel of using hunger as a weapon. Nearly 55,600 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023. Gaza’s population remains displaced and under severe humanitarian strain.