**Israeli Gunfire Kills Dozens of Palestinians in Gaza**
A devastating incident occurred in northern Gaza on Wednesday, where Israeli gunfire killed at least 30 Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid. According to the Hamas-run civil defense agency, around 300 more people were wounded in the shooting.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) initially claimed that they fired “warning shots” after Gazans gathered around aid trucks, but the IDF was not aware of any casualties from their gunfire. However, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said his facility had received 35 bodies following the incident.
**Conflicting Accounts**
Later, the hospital reported that at least 48 Palestinians were killed, according to the Associated Press. Separately, Gaza hospital sources told the BBC that six Palestinians were killed near a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution center in the Rafah area of Gaza on Wednesday morning. The GHF denied any killings took place at or near its sites.
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) claimed that a “gathering of suspects” posed a threat to their troops, and they fired warning shots from hundreds of meters away. However, an initial review by the military suggested that the number of casualties reported does not align with the information held by the IDF.
**Rising Death Toll**
The incident highlights the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. According to the UN human rights office, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while trying to access food aid since late May. More than 150 people have died of malnutrition since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, including 89 children.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reports that over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since October 2023, including 18,592 children and 9,782 women. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for the “trickle of aid” into Gaza to become an “ocean,” emphasizing the need for food, water, medicine, and fuel to flow without obstruction.
**International Response**
The international community is increasingly concerned about the situation in Gaza. This week, Canada followed France and the UK in announcing plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September – the third G7 nation to do so. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Israel on Thursday to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza, according to a group of UN-backed global food security experts. The situation demands immediate attention and action from the international community to prevent further suffering and loss of life.
Read More @ www.bbc.com
