At least 16 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks, including 13 aid seekers

Express Tribune

30-07-2025

Palestinians gather on a coastal path west of Beit Lahia to attempt to get food aid on July 29, 2025, after aid trucks entered the Israel-besieged Gaza Strip from the northern Zikim border crossing. — AFP
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At least 16 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza since dawn, including 13 aid seekers who were shot by Israeli forces near aid centres, according to medical sources.
Israel has allowed 109 aid trucks into Gaza, but according to the Gaza media office, most of the supplies were looted amidst the escalating security chaos.
Palestinians bring back aid parcels they managed to procure as they walk on a coastal path west of Beit Lahia on July 29, 2025, after aid trucks entered the Israel-besieged Gaza Strip from the northern Zikim border crossing. — AFP
The office also reported that four out of six airdrops intended to deliver critical supplies fell into areas under Israeli military control or in neighbourhoods where civilians had already been ordered to evacuate.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 147 people have died of starvation since October 2023, including 88 children.
Palestinian State
Meanwhile, France, alongside 14 other countries, has issued a collective appeal urging the global community to recognise Palestine as a state.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasised the importance of recognising Palestinian sovereignty amid the ongoing conflict. 'We express our desire to recognise the State of Palestine and invite those who have not yet done so to join us.'
A New York avec 14 autres pays, la France lance un appel collectif : nous exprimons notre volonté de reconnaître l'Etat de Palestine et invitons ceux qui ne l'ont pas encore fait à nous rejoindre. pic.twitter.com/faCYTYwmES — Jean-Noël Barrot (@jnbarrot) July 30, 2025
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced criticism for setting a September deadline for Israel. US President Donald Trump, have argued that recognising a Palestinian state would reward Hamas.
However, British Transport Minister Heidi Alexander rejected these claims, insisting that the focus is on addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza rather than legitimising Hamas.
Palestinians climb in the back of a truck on a coastal path west of Beit Lahia after managing to get aid parcels on July 29, 2025, after aid trucks entered the Israel-besieged Gaza Strip from the northern Zikim border crossing. — AFP
Meanwhile, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have joined a collective call for Hamas to disarm and relinquish control of Gaza. This appeal was part of a initiative endorsed by 17 nations, the European Union, and the Arab League, made during a United Nations conference aimed at reviving the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.
The seven-page declaration, co-signed by France, Britain, Canada, and other Western nations, urges Hamas to end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international support ensuring the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.
Palestinians gather on a coastal path west of Beit Lahia to attempt to get food aid on July 29, 2025, after aid trucks entered the Israel-besieged Gaza Strip from the northern Zikim border crossing. — AFP
Israel's war on Gaza
The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his 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 for its war on the enclave.