Gaza is reeling from a worsening humanitarian disaster, with at least 73 Palestinians killed while seeking aid amid a crippling Israeli siege and rampant food shortages. Reports from Khan Younis describe chaotic scenes of alleged indiscriminate firing by Israeli forces on civilians waiting for food, marking a grim escalation in the region’s hunger crisis. As famine threatens, aid access remains blocked, leaving millions on the edge of survival.

Deadly Chaos at Aid Sites

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 59 deaths and hundreds injured in a single day in Khan Younis, where crowds gathered near aid trucks were allegedly fired upon by Israeli troops. Social media footage, yet to be verified, shows bodies strewn across streets, with injuries consistent with heavy weaponry. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied responsibility for the deaths, claiming they fired warning shots to manage crowds they deemed threatening, and are investigating the incident.

Since May 2025, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the U.S. and Israel, has distributed limited aid but faced criticism for operating in militarized zones. Over 800 Palestinians have reportedly died near GHF sites, with witnesses alleging reckless use of force. The UN and humanitarian groups have slammed the setup as unsafe and insufficient, calling for broader, safer aid distribution.

Starvation and Blockade Fuel Crisis

A near-total blockade, reinstated on March 2, 2025, has choked Gaza’s access to food, fuel, and medical supplies, driving 83% of needed aid to a standstill, per the Norwegian Refugee Council. Residents are surviving on minimal food, with prices skyrocketing by up to 4,000%. The UN’s World Food Programme has shut down community kitchens serving 420,000 people due to depleted stocks. UNRWA, Gaza’s main aid provider, has thousands of trucks ready at the border—enough for 180 million meals—but has been barred from delivery for over four months.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns of full-scale famine, with 650,000 children under five facing acute malnutrition. At least 67 children have died from starvation, and 92% of infants and pregnant women lack adequate nutrition. Water shortages, worsened by damaged infrastructure and fuel scarcity, have forced some to resort to seawater.

UNRWA and Global Outcry

UNRWA, which employs 13,000 staff and handles 80% of Gaza’s aid, has labeled the blockade a “deliberate famine” and demanded immediate access to deliver supplies. The UN Human Rights Office condemned the violence at aid sites as a potential war crime, urging Israel to comply with international humanitarian law. Amnesty International and other groups have accused Israel of using starvation as a tactic, with the International Court of Justice now reviewing Gaza’s aid crisis.

Conflict and Collapsed Ceasefire

The crisis stems from a collapsed ceasefire in March 2025, following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 and took 251 hostages. Israel’s response has killed over 57,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, per Gaza’s Health Ministry. Recent IDF operations, including 250 strikes in 48 hours, have displaced 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and crippled infrastructure, leaving only 17 of 36 hospitals partially operational and 1,500 hospital beds available.

Ceasefire talks, mediated by the U.S. and Qatar, have stalled over issues like Israeli withdrawal and aid access, prolonging the suffering.

Urgent Call for Action

Humanitarian agencies are pressing Israel to lift the blockade, open border crossings, and allow UNRWA to deliver aid safely. The UN has called for an immediate ceasefire to avert further deaths from starvation and violence. As Gaza faces an unprecedented crisis, the world is urged to act swiftly to save lives.

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Tags: Gaza crisis, famine, Israeli siege, civilian deaths, UNRWA, Khan Younis, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, aid blockade

Sources: Reuters, BBC, Al Jazeera, UN News, Amnesty International, The Guardian, PBS News