Israeli forces killed 23 Palestinians across Gaza on Sunday, with nearly half of the deaths occurring as civilians sought food at aid distribution sites operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
Local authorities reported that at least 11 people were killed near the Netzarim Corridor and Rafah’s al-Mawasi area while attempting to access aid.
Medics at al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza confirmed three deaths and dozens of injuries from Israeli fire near a GHF site, while two others were killed and over 50 injured in Rafah.
The Gaza Ministry of Health stated that 274 people have been killed and over 2,000 wounded at aid sites since GHF operations began in late May.
The GHF, tasked with aid distribution after Israel partially lifted a three-month blockade, has faced criticism for its operations.
United Nations officials, including Jens Laerke from OCHA, have called the GHF’s efforts “a failure” from a humanitarian standpoint, citing unsafe conditions at distribution sites.
“GHF, I think it’s fair to say, has been, from a principled humanitarian standpoint, a failure,” Laerke said.
The UN and Hamas have accused Israel of weaponizing aid, with distribution hubs described as “execution sites” by Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum.
Israel’s military campaign, ongoing for over 600 days, has killed nearly 55,300 Palestinians and displaced most of Gaza’s population, exacerbating hunger and medical shortages.
Gaza’s healthcare system is collapsing under the strain of Israel’s siege and attacks.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that hospitals face severe shortages of medical supplies, with evacuation orders and shelling disrupting operations.
“We cannot wait any longer to implement temporary interventions that do not meet the minimum requirements for providing emergency and routine healthcare,” the ministry stated.
UNICEF’s James Elder described Gaza’s situation as “bleak, horrific, and hopeless,” noting that children face heightened risks from malnutrition and lack of safe healthcare access amid ongoing bombardment and displacement.gaza