The UN human rights office on Tuesday said over 1,850 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access food in Gaza in less than three months, warning that humanitarian conditions are worsening as Israel continues to restrict aid.
ISTANBUL — At least 62,064 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
In its daily update, the ministry said 60 people were killed and 343 injured over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of injuries to 156,573.
The ministry also reported three new deaths from starvation and malnutrition, raising the total number of famine-related deaths to 266 since October 2023, including 112 children.
Rescue efforts remain severely hindered in Gaza as many victims are still trapped under rubble or lying on the streets, with emergency teams unable to reach them due to relentless Israeli bombardment and lack of equipment.
Since March 18, when Israel resumed its military campaign after breaching a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, the ministry said 10,518 Palestinians have been killed and 44,532 injured.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces are still targeting Palestinians trying to access humanitarian aid. According to the ministry, 31 people were killed and 197 others were injured in such attacks over the past 24 hours.
Since May 27, Israeli forces have killed 1,996 Palestinians and injured 14,898 more while they were attempting to secure desperately needed food and supplies.
The full blockade of Gaza, in place since early March, has pushed the enclave’s 2.4 million residents to the brink of collapse, amid widespread famine, disease outbreaks, and the destruction of essential infrastructure.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its ongoing assault on the enclave.
1,857 Palestinians killed in Gaza while seeking food in 3 months: UN
Meanwhile, The UN human rights office on Tuesday said over 1,850 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access food in Gaza in less than three months, warning that humanitarian conditions are worsening as Israel continues to restrict aid.
“Reaching the meagre supplies available can be a deadly pursuit,” spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva, noting that between May 27 and Aug. 17, the human rights office documented that 1,857 Palestinians were killed while seeking food, “including 1,021 killed in the vicinity of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, and 836 killed on the routes of supply trucks.”
“Most of these killings appear to have been committed by the Israeli military,” he said.
He warned that “the risk of starvation is everywhere in Gaza,” describing it as “a direct result of the Israeli government’s policy of blocking humanitarian aid.”
“In the past few weeks, Israeli authorities have only allowed aid to enter in quantities that remain far below what would be required to avert widespread starvation.”
The spokesperson also noted that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, displaced to the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, have little or no access to essential services and supplies, including food, water, electricity, and tents.
He added that the Israeli army has intensified its attacks in the north of the strip, while displacement orders continue even in areas where strikes are recorded. — AA
