**Death Toll Rises in Gaza as Israeli Fire Kills 11 Seeking Aid**
In a devastating turn of events, at least 33 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire and strikes in Gaza on Wednesday. The victims included 11 people who were among thousands queuing for desperately needed food supplies on the main Salah al-Din Road.
According to rescuers and medics, Israeli forces launched several shells and opened fire on the crowd, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. The Israeli military claimed that troops operating in the Nuseirat area had fired warning shots overnight after a group approached them in a manner that posed a potential threat.
However, eyewitnesses disputed this claim, saying that Israeli tanks and drones had opened fire as crowds gathered near a charity community centre and a warehouse belonging to the UN’s World Food Programme. The Israeli military acknowledged that its troops were in the area but said the details of the incident were under review.
The death toll has been rising steadily over the past 24 hours, with Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reporting at least 140 people killed. The UN put the number even higher, citing partner organisations working on health as saying more than 60 people had lost their lives while waiting for aid.
**Escalating Violence in Gaza**
The violence has been escalating since May 26, when a new system of delivering aid to Gaza was introduced by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). This system bypasses the UN and uses private security contractors to distribute food supplies. However, the UN and other aid groups have refused to co-operate with this system, saying it contravenes humanitarian principles.
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) condemned this system as “lame, medieval, and lethal”. He called on those responsible to be held accountable and said that inviting starving people to their death was a war crime.
**Food Shortages and Desperation**
The desperate need for food has been causing large crowds to gather along transport routes, hoping to intercept and access humanitarian supplies while in transit. The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the 9,000 tonnes of food aid it had dispatched over the past four weeks was a tiny fraction of what was needed in Gaza.
In fact, the WFP said that only a massive scale-up in food distributions can stabilize the situation and calm anxieties within communities. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deepen, with at least 55,637 people killed since May.
**Humanitarian Crisis Deepens**
The death toll has been rising steadily over the past four weeks, and it’s clear that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is deepening by the day. As food shortages and desperation take hold, more lives are being lost, and the need for aid becomes increasingly urgent.
It’s time for the international community to come together and find a solution to this devastating crisis. The people of Gaza deserve to have their basic needs met, and it’s up to us to ensure that they receive the humanitarian aid they so desperately need.
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