DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s navy introduced that airdrops of support would start Saturday night time in Gaza, and humanitarian corridors shall be established for United Nations convoys, after growing accounts of starvation-related deaths.
The assertion late Saturday adopted months of specialists’ warnings of famine amid Israeli restrictions on support. Worldwide criticism, together with by shut allies, has grown as a number of hundred Palestinians have been killed in current weeks whereas making an attempt to achieve meals distribution websites.
The navy assertion didn’t say the place the airdrops or humanitarian corridors could be. It additionally stated the navy is ready to implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas. Israel’s overseas ministry stated late Saturday the humanitarian pauses would begin Sunday in “civilian facilities” together with humanitarian corridors.
The navy “emphasizes that fight operations haven’t ceased” in Gaza in opposition to Hamas, and it asserted there’s “no hunger” within the territory, the place a lot of the inhabitants of over 2 million has been displaced right into a shrinking space with little infrastructure. Nearly all of individuals depend on support.
Displaced Palestinians watch for donated meals at a neighborhood kitchen in Gaza Metropolis, northern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
(AP Photograph/Jehad Alshrafi)
Witness accounts from Gaza have been grim. Some well being employees are so weakened by starvation that they put themselves on IV drips to maintain treating the badly malnourished. Dad and mom have proven their limp and emaciated youngsters. Wounded males have described determined dashes for support beneath gunfire.
The navy assertion stated airdrops could be performed in coordination with worldwide support organizations. It was not clear the place they might be carried out. And it wasn’t clear what position the just lately created and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Basis – meant as an alternate to the U.N. support system – would possibly play. GHF chair Johnnie Moore in a press release stated the group stood prepared to help.
A minimum of 53 killed
Israeli airstrikes and gunshots killed a minimum of 53 individuals in Gaza in a single day and into Saturday, most of them shot useless whereas looking for support, based on Palestinian well being officers and the native ambulance service.
Lethal Israeli gunfire was reported twice near the Zikim crossing with Israel within the north. Within the first incident, a minimum of a dozen individuals ready for support vehicles had been killed, stated employees at Shifa hospital, the place our bodies had been taken. Israel’s navy stated it fired warning pictures to distance a crowd “in response to a direct menace.”
A witness, Sherif Abu Aisha, stated individuals began working after they noticed a light-weight that they thought was from support vehicles, however as they received shut, they realized it was Israel’s tanks. That is when the military began firing, he informed The Related Press. He stated his uncle was amongst these killed.
“We went as a result of there isn’t any meals … and nothing was distributed,” he stated.
On Saturday night, Israeli forces killed a minimum of 11 individuals and wounded 120 others after they fired towards crowds who tried to get meals from an getting into U.N. convoy, Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of Shifa hospital, informed the AP.
“We predict the numbers to surge within the subsequent few hours,” he stated. There was no instant navy remark.
AP video confirmed a bunch of weary Palestinian males carrying a physique together with sacks of flour. They stated he was hit by a truck however had no particulars. “You die to fetch some meals in your youngsters,” stated one man, Fayez Abu Riyala, skinny and sweating.
Within the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, Israeli forces shot useless a minimum of 9 individuals making an attempt to get support getting into via the Morag hall, based on the hospital’s morgue data. There was no instant navy remark.
Elsewhere, these killed in strikes included 4 individuals in an residence constructing in Gaza Metropolis and a minimum of eight, together with 4 youngsters, within the crowded tent camp of Muwasi in Khan Younis, hospitals stated.
Turning to airdrops, with a warning
The airdrops had been requested by neighboring Jordan, and a Jordanian official stated they primarily will drop meals and milk formulation. The United Arab Emirates stated airdrops would begin “instantly.” Britain stated it plans to work with companions to airdrop support and evacuate youngsters requiring medical help.
However the head of the United Nations company for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned that airdrops are “costly, inefficient and may even kill ravenous civilians” and will not reverse the growing hunger or forestall support diversion.
Whereas Israel’s military has stated it permits support into the enclave with no restrict on the vehicles that may enter, the U.N. says it’s hampered by navy restrictions on its actions and prison looting. The Hamas-run police had supplied safety for support supply, nevertheless it has been unable to function after being focused by airstrikes.
Israel on Saturday stated over 250 vehicles carrying support from the U.N. and different organizations entered Gaza this week. About 600 vehicles entered per day through the newest ceasefire that Israel led to March.
Israel faces rising worldwide stress. Greater than two dozen Western-aligned nations and over 100 charity and human rights teams have referred to as for an finish to the warfare, harshly criticizing Israel’s blockade and a brand new support supply mannequin it has rolled out.
Greater than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since Might whereas making an attempt to get meals, largely close to the brand new support websites run by the GHF, an American contractor, the U.N. human rights workplace says.
The charities and rights teams stated their very own employees struggled to get sufficient meals.
Inside Gaza, youngsters with no preexisting circumstances have begun to starve to dying.
“We solely need sufficient meals to finish our starvation,” stated Wael Shaaban at a charity kitchen in Gaza Metropolis as he tried to feed his household of six.
In the meantime, an activist boat making an attempt to achieve Gaza with support, the Handala, livestreamed video displaying Israeli forces boarding round midnight. There was no instant Israeli remark.
Stalled ceasefire talks
Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas had been at a standstill after the U.S. and Israel recalled negotiating groups on Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Friday his authorities was contemplating “different choices” to talks. A Hamas official, nonetheless, stated negotiations had been anticipated to renew subsequent week and referred to as the delegations’ recall a stress tactic.
Egypt and Qatar, which mediate alongside the USA, stated talks would resume however didn’t say when.
“Our family members shouldn’t have time for an additional spherical of negotiations, and they won’t survive one other partial deal,” stated Zahiro Shahar Mor, nephew of hostage Avraham Munder, considered one of 50 nonetheless in Gaza from Hamas’ assault on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the warfare. Mor spoke at a weekly rally in Tel Aviv.
Greater than 59,700 Palestinians have been killed through the warfare, based on Gaza’s Well being Ministry. Its rely does not distinguish between militants and civilians, however the ministry says that greater than half of the useless are ladies and youngsters. The ministry operates beneath the Hamas authorities. The U.N. and different worldwide organizations see it as probably the most dependable supply of information on casualties.
Magdy reported from Cairo.
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