Gaza Herlad- In a harrowing update from the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), at least 875 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in recent weeks while trying to access food, with the majority of deaths occurring near controversial private aid centers operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan reported that, as of July 13, 674 of those killed lost their lives near GHF distribution points, while another 201 died near UN or UN-partner aid convoys.
These deaths highlight the dangers facing starving civilians as they navigate a chaotic and deadly aid environment. The GHF hubs, launched on May 27 with support from the U.S. and Israel, bypass traditional humanitarian channels and have contributed to confusion and risk for desperate Gazans seeking basic survival needs.
A recent tragedy occurred on Monday, when Israeli forces shelled a food distribution point in northwestern Rafah, killing two civilians and injuring nine others. Medical staff at the ICRC hospital in Rafah treated over 130 injured people on Saturday alone—most with gunshot woundswho reported being attacked while attempting to reach food aid.
Children Shot While Searching for Food
The situation is especially dire for children. Juliette Touma, Communications Director at UNRWA, expressed grave concern over accounts from children who were shot at while trying to collect food. Malnutrition has surged since Israel tightened its blockade in early March, with several infants reportedly dying from severe hunger. UNRWA has been blocked from delivering aid into Gaza for more than four months, leaving over 6,000 trucks filled with food, medicine, and hygiene supplies stuck in Egypt and Jordan.
Meanwhile, violence is escalating in the occupied West Bank. OHCHR reports that two-year-old Laila Khatib was fatally shot by Israeli forces while inside her home in Jenin, and 61-year-old Walid Badir was killed while cycling home from prayer. Since the beginning of Israel’s “Iron Wall” operation in the northern West Bank, around 30,000 Palestinians have been displaced, and hundreds of homes destroyed. Al-Kheetan warned that these actions could constitute war crimes and an attempt at ethnic cleansing through demographic changes.
With over one million children in Gaza and humanitarian supplies on the brink of expiration, the crisis demands immediate international action. Both the blockade-induced starvation in Gaza and the growing violence in the West Bank point to a deepening humanitarian catastrophe that continues to spiral unchecked.
