At least 34 Palestinians have been killed and several otherswounded by Israeli fire while waiting for humanitarian aid in central and southernGaza Strip, hospital sources told Al Jazeera.
At least 82 Palestinians were killed across Gaza by theIsraeli army on Friday, sources said, including several in an attack where jetsbombed a house west of Deir el-Balah.
At least 37 people were killed in central Gaza, including 23who were seeking aid, according to hospital sources. In Gaza City, another 23people lost their lives, while 22 were killed in southern Gaza – 11 of whomwere also aid seekers.
Israeli attacks on hungry Palestinians near aid centres havekilled hundreds of people since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)started distributions on May 27.
The shadowy Israeli- and United States-backed group taskedwith distributing aid supplies has been criticised by the UnitedNations for its “failure” to ensure the safe delivery of supplies in Gaza,where aid agencies have warned that the entire population is facing the threatof famine after Israel imposed a total blockade from early March to late May.
Ismail al-Thawabta, the director-general of Gaza’sGovernment Media Office, said on Thursday that the total number of aid seekerskilled stood at 409, and 3,203 more had been injured.
UNICEF warned the Gaza Strip was also facing a man-madedrought as its water systems collapsed.
“Children will begin to die of thirst,” spokesperson JamesElder told reporters in Geneva on Friday. “Just 40 percent of drinking waterproduction facilities remain functional.”
The UN agency warned that the GHF distribution system was“making a desperate situation worse”.
Elder, who was recently in Gaza, said he had manytestimonials of women and children injured while trying to receive food aid,including a young boy who was wounded by a tank shell and later died of hisinjuries.
He said a lack of public clarity on when the sites, some ofwhich are in combat zones, were open was causing mass casualty events.
“There have been instances where information [was] sharedthat a site is open, but then it’s communicated on social media that they’reclosed, but that information was shared when Gaza’s internet was down andpeople had no access to it,” he said.
On Wednesday, the GHF said in a statement it had distributedthree million meals across three of its aid sites without an incident.
As Israel’s war on Gaza continues, it has alsotraded air attacks with Iran for a week.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Friday thatIsrael’s conflict with Iran and its genocide in Gaza are “quickly reaching thepoint of no return”.
“This madness must end as soon as possible,” Erdogan saidduring a speech to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s youth forum inIstanbul. “Israel complained about damage to its hospitals today, yet it has sofar carried out over 700 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza alone,” headded, reiterating calls for a ceasefire.
