Netanyahu is expected to address both foreign and local media in a press conference later on Sunday, amid rising global criticism. His statement will precede an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City
Palestinians mourn the victims at the morgue in Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza City, on Sunday. PIC/AFP
At least 26 Palestinians were killed while trying to access humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, hospital sources and eyewitnesses said on Sunday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under increasing domestic and international pressure for his decision to expand military operations in the territory.
Netanyahu is expected to address both foreign and local media in a press conference later on Sunday, amid rising global criticism, reported AP. His statement will precede an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City.
Hospital authorities reported receiving bodies from several locations across Gaza, where Palestinians had gathered in search of aid — either along convoy routes or at privately operated distribution points.
Among the victims were 10 people killed near the recently constructed Morag corridor, which links the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital.
Another six people lost their lives while waiting for food supplies near the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City also received the casualties, reported AP.
In central Gaza, eyewitnesses said they heard warning shots before live fire broke out at a crowd attempting to reach a food distribution centre run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). AP said it could not independently verify who opened fire. The Awda Hospital in the nearby Nuseirat refugee camp reported that four people were killed by Israeli gunfire.
"First, it was in the air, then they started to fire at the people," said Sayed Awda, who had been waiting several hundred metres away from the GHF site.
Nasser Hospital further confirmed that six more people were killed while trying to reach GHF aid centres in Khan Younis and Rafah.
The United States and Israel had backed the GHF earlier this year as an alternative to the UN-administered aid system. However, its early operations have been marred by chaos and deaths, with aid-seekers reportedly coming under fire along access routes.
In response to queries from the Associated Press, the GHF’s media office said: "There were no incidents at or near our sites today and these incidents appear to be linked to crowds trying to loot aid convoy."
Israel’s military also stated that no incidents involving its troops took place near aid sites in central Gaza.
Separately, seven individuals were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Sunday, local hospitals reported — three near the fishermen’s port in Gaza City, and four, including two children, in a tent strike in Khan Younis. The Israeli military did not immediately respond, though it has repeatedly alleged that Hamas operates from civilian locations.
Hunger-related deaths rise, toll among children touches 100
Israel’s ongoing air and ground assault has displaced a majority of Gaza’s population and pushed the region towards famine. On Saturday, two more Palestinian children reportedly died due to malnutrition-related complications, taking the child death toll from hunger to 100 since the conflict began.
The Health Ministry said 117 adults have also died from malnutrition-related causes since late June, when tracking for this age group was initiated.
These hunger-related fatalities are not included in the ministry’s official war death toll, which now stands at 61,400. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government but is staffed by medical professionals, does not differentiate between civilians and militants, but has stated that nearly half of those killed have been women and children.
The United Nations and several independent observers consider the Gaza Health Ministry the most reliable source for casualty data in the ongoing conflict.
Labour strike call in Israel over planned Gaza City offensive
The Israeli government's plan to expand its military operation into Gaza City has sparked significant outrage both internationally and within Israel itself. Families of hostages still held in Gaza have urged businesses and institutions to observe a general strike next week.
On Saturday night, tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv, with local media describing it as one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in recent times.
Family members and supporters believe that escalating the war will further endanger the lives of the hostages. Of the 251 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, around 50 are still believed to be in Gaza, with 20 presumed to be alive.
Lishay Miran-Lavi, whose husband Omri is among the hostages, issued a direct appeal to former US President Donald Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff to intervene.
"The decision to send the army deeper into Gaza is a danger to my husband, Omri. But we can still stop this disaster," she said.
Israeli Defence Minister visits West Bank amid unrest
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz visited the northern West Bank, where Israeli military operations have intensified in recent months.
He said that the military would remain stationed in refugee camps across the region until at least the end of the year.
Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced from the West Bank this year, marking the largest such movement since Israel captured the territory in 1967. Israeli officials claim the operations are aimed at rooting out militancy. Violence involving both Israelis and Palestinians has escalated sharply since the October 7 attack.
Katz said the number of warnings of potential attacks in the West Bank had decreased by 80 per cent since the military campaign began in January.
(With AP inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
