Key Points
- 18 Palestinians killed in latest attacks on Gaza
- Oxfam accuses Israel of deliberately delaying aid entry into Gaza
- Israeli minister threatens imprisoned Palestinian leader
- Erdogan urges the world to act on Gaza
GAZA CITY: The UN human rights office sounded the alarm on Friday, revealing that at least 1,760 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access humanitarian aid in Gaza since late May — a sharp and disturbing increase of several hundred deaths since its last update in early August.
“Since 27 May, and as of 13 August, we have recorded that at least 1,760 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid; 994 in the vicinity of GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) sites and 766 along the routes of supply convoys. Most of these killings were committed by the Israeli military,” the agency’s office for the Palestinian territories said in a statement.
Israeli army kills 18 Palestinians in latest attacks on Gaza
At least 18 Palestinians were killed on Friday in a series of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza.
In southern Gaza, five people lost their lives—three in a drone strike southwest of Khan Younis and two others while waiting for aid north of Rafah, according to Gaza officials.
In eastern Gaza City, one person was killed when a drone targeted civilians in the Al-Tuffah neighbourhood. Two more were killed in a separate strike on the Zaitoun area, while another airstrike near the Al-Ittisalat junction in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood claimed three lives and injured 13 others.
In central Gaza, Israeli forces reportedly shot dead three Palestinians who were waiting for aid near the Netzarim corridor. Meanwhile, an airstrike near the Kissufim crossing killed three more people, and a fourth was killed in a strike on the Al-Matahin junction in Deir al-Balah.
The attacks are part of ongoing Israeli military operations in the region, which continue to result in civilian casualties.
Israel deliberately delays aid entry into Gaza: Oxfam
Chris McIntosh, a spokesperson for the global charity Oxfam, told Al Jazeera that aid organisations in Gaza are facing severe challenges, including ongoing bombings and drone strikes.
But there is also the challenge of “a deliberate delay by Israel in allowing us to bring in aid”, he said.
“Israel is preventing us from bringing in generators, citing security concerns. Israel is using blocking tactics as a weapon to frustrate us in providing relief to the people of Gaza,” McIntosh added.
UN says Israeli settlement plan breaks international law
The UN human rights office said on Friday an Israeli plan to build to build thousands of new homes between an Israeli settlement in the West Bank and near East Jerusalem was illegal under international law, and would put nearby Palestinians at risk of forced eviction, which it described as a war crime.
Israeli minister threatens imprisoned Palestinian leader
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited prominent jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti and told him, “You will not win,” according to a video shared on his X account.
In the footage, Ben-Gvir also warned Barghouti — seen by many Palestinians as a potential unifying figure — that anyone posing a threat to Israel would be “eliminated.” Barghouti has been imprisoned for over two decades.
The visit came just a day after another hardline Israeli cabinet minister vowed to “bury” the idea of an independent Palestinian state.
Ben Gvir said, “You will not win. Anyone who messes with the people of Israel, anyone who murders our children, anyone who murders our women – we will wipe him out. You have to know this, throughout history.”
Erdogan urges world to act as Gaza nears ‘total humanitarian collapse’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the international community to take urgent action to end the war in Gaza, warning that the territory is on the brink of “total humanitarian collapse” due to relentless Israeli attacks.
In an article titled “The Conscience of Humanity Is Being Tested in Gaza,” Erdogan accused Israel of pursuing “a systematic policy of annihilation” against the Palestinian people.
“Hunger, thirst, and the threat of epidemic disease are pushing Gaza toward complete humanitarian devastation,” he wrote.
Erdogan noted that despite numerous challenges, Türkiye has continued to deliver food, medicine, and medical supplies to Gaza with the support of “brotherly nations” in the region. He also highlighted efforts to evacuate wounded Palestinians for treatment in Turkish hospitals.
He added that Ankara is actively working for a ceasefire through diplomatic efforts at the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, while also mediating between Palestinian factions.
