Gaza: At least 102 Palestinian civilians were killed and 490 injured while seeking humanitarian aid from Israeli-designated centers in the Gaza Strip over eight days, Hamas reported on Tuesday.
According to Anadolu Agency, Israeli forces opened fire early Tuesday on civilians awaiting humanitarian aid at a distribution point in Rafah, located in southern Gaza. This incident resulted in the deaths of 27 people and left more than 90 injured. Hamas issued a statement condemning the situation, describing it as a mechanism that degrades human dignity and turns the act of seeking food into a life-threatening risk.
The group has urged the United Nations to intervene to halt what it calls a “killing mechanism” and to establish humanitarian corridors under international oversight, free from Israeli control. Israel has devised a plan to set up four aid distribution points in southern and central Gaza, which, according to Israeli media, is intended to facilitate the evacuation of Palestinians from northern Gaza to the south.
Israel’s Army Radio reported that the aid distribution plan aims to transform the northern region of the territory into a “completely depopulated area.” This approach has been met with opposition from the international community and the UN, as it appears to be an alternative attempt by Israel to circumvent the aid distribution through UN channels.
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has continued its offensive in Gaza since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of nearly 54,500 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children. Aid agencies have raised alarms about the potential for famine among the enclave’s population of more than 2 million.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions against civilians in the enclave.