Gaza, Palestinian Territories: Israeli forces on Tuesday killed at least 46 Palestinians in Gaza who had gathered at aid distribution sites as famine looms after more than 20 months of war on the Palestinian territory, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 21 people were killed and around 150 wounded by Israeli fire near an aid point in central Gaza early Tuesday, and that another 25 were killed in a separate incident in south Gaza.
“Every day we face this scenario: martyrs, injuries, in unbearable numbers,” paramedic Ziad Farhat told AFP at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza.
“Hospitals cannot accommodate the number of casualties arriving,” he said.
The latest deaths came as Israel’s opposition leader and the families of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to widen a ceasefire with Iran to include the Palestinian territory.
According to data released on Tuesday by the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, at least 516 people have been killed and nearly 3,800 injured by Israeli fire while attempting to access food aid since late May.
Human rights organisations report that the territory, home to over two million people, is facing famine-like conditions. This crisis has been exacerbated by Israel’s complete blockade of supplies from early March to the end of May, with severe restrictions still in place.
Germany says ‘Moment has come’ for Gaza ceasefire
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Tuesday that “the moment has come” for a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
Addressing parliament, Merz reaffirmed Germany’s strong support for Israel, emphasising its right to defend its existence and the safety of its citizens. However, he also noted that Germany reserves the right to critically assess Israel’s objectives in the Gaza Strip.
Merz further urged Israel to ensure the humane treatment of civilians in Gaza, particularly women, children, and the elderly.
Israel uses food as weapon in Gaza
The UN human rights office on Tuesday condemned the “weaponisation” of food in Gaza, calling it a war crime in its strongest criticism yet of a new aid distribution system run by an Israeli-backed organisation.
“Desperate, hungry people in Gaza continue to face the inhumane choice of either starving to death or risking being shot while trying to obtain food,” said UN spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan during a press briefing in Geneva. He was referring to a series of fatal shootings near distribution points operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
“The use of food as a weapon against civilians, along with restricting or obstructing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime and, in some cases, may amount to other violations under international law,” Al-Kheetan added.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,077 people, mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable.
UNRWA faces cash flow crisis
The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warned on Tuesday that he may be forced to make an “unprecedented decision” regarding the agency’s services if urgent funding is not secured to address a worsening cash flow crisis.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, said the agency is facing a $200 million budget shortfall.
“Cash flow is being managed on a weekly basis,” Lazzarini told reporters in Berlin. “Without additional funding, I will soon have to make an unprecedented decision that will impact our services to Palestinian refugees.”
UNRWA’s financial troubles have been exacerbated by significant aid cuts, including a major reduction from its largest donor, the United States, after President Donald Trump announced sweeping foreign aid cutbacks earlier this year.
