'Walking corpses': Over 100 dead of starvation, says UNRWA; India backs aid push in Gaza
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"'People in Gaza are neither dead nor alive, they are walking corpses': a colleague in Gaza told me this morning," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on X.
"Meanwhile, according to @UNRWA latest findings: one in every five children is malnourished in Gaza City as cases increase every day. When child malnutrition surges, coping mechanisms fail, access to food & care disappears, famine silently begins to unfold.
Most children our teams are seeing are emaciated, weak & at high risk of dying if they don't get the treatment they urgently need. More than 100 people, the vast majority of them children, have reportedly died of hunger," he added.
"Allow humanitarian partners to bring unrestricted & uninterrupted humanitarian assistance to Gaza. We, at UNRWA, have the equivalent of 6,000 loaded trucks of food & medical supplies in Jordan and Egypt," he said.
Moreover, India has urged an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, along with the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and the release of hostages, as part of efforts to address the escalating crisis in the region.
"Intermittent pauses in hostilities are not enough to address the scale of humanitarian challenges confronting the people, who grapple daily with acute shortages of food and fuel, inadequate medical services and lack of access to education," ANI quoted permanent representative of India to the United Nations ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said.
"WHO estimates that around 95 per cent of all hospitals in Gaza are damaged or destroyed. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that more than 6,50,000 children have had no schooling for over 20 months," he added.
Israel halted all goods from entering Gaza in March, later permitting limited aid deliveries beginning in May, most of which have been routed through the controversial, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
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Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
10 killed after Israeli fire kills Gaza aid-seekers as US envoy meets with hostages' families
Israeli forces opened fire near two aid distribution sites run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as crowds of hungry Palestinians again sought food, killing at least 10 people, witnesses and health workers said Saturday. Experts this week said a 'worst-case scenario of famine' was occurring.(REUTERS) The violence came a day after US officials visited a GHF site, and the US ambassador called the troubled system 'an incredible feat.' Another 19 people were shot dead as they crowded near the Zikim crossing from Israel in the hope of obtaining aid, said Fares Awad, head of the Gaza health ministry's ambulance and emergency service. Nearly a week has passed since Israel, under international pressure amid growing scenes of starving children, announced limited humanitarian pauses and airdrops meant to get more food to Gaza's over 2 million people. They now largely rely on aid after almost 22 months of war. But the United Nations, partners and Palestinians say far too little aid is coming in, with months of supplies piled up outside Gaza waiting for Israeli approval. Trucks that enter are mostly stripped of supplies by desperate people and criminal groups before reaching warehouses for distribution. Experts this week said a 'worst-case scenario of famine' was occurring. On Saturday, Gaza's health ministry said seven Palestinians had died of malnutrition-related causes over the past 24 hours, including a child. Aid is 'far from sufficient,' Germany's government said via spokesman Stefan Kornelius. The U.N. has said 500 to 600 trucks of aid are needed daily. Families of the 50 hostages still in Gaza fear they are going hungry too, and blame Hamas, after the militants released images of an emaciated hostage, Evyatar David. 'The humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza, meant to alleviate suffering, must reach Evyatar, Guy and all the other hostages too,' David's brother Illay told a large rally in Tel Aviv. More deaths near U.S.-supported GHF sites Near the northernmost GHF distribution site near the Netzarim corridor, Yahia Youssef, who had come to seek aid, described a grimly familiar scene. After helping carry three people wounded by gunshots, he said he saw others on the ground, bleeding. 'It's the same daily episode,' Youssef said. Health workers said at least eight people were killed. Israel's military said it fired warning shots at a gathering approaching its forces. At least two people were killed in the Shakoush area hundreds of meters (yards) from where the GHF operates in the southernmost city of Rafah, witnesses said. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received two bodies and many injured. Witness Mohamed Abu Taha said Israeli troops opened fire toward the crowds. He saw three people — two men and a woman — shot as he fled. Israel's military said it was not aware of any fire by its forces in the area. The GHF said nothing happened near its sites. GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Israel 's military on Friday said it was working to make the routes under its control safer. The GHF — backed by millions of dollars in U.S. support — launched in May as Israel sought an alternative to the U.N.-run system, which had safely delivered aid for much of the war but was accused by Israel of allowing Hamas to siphon off supplies. Israel has not offered evidence for that claim, and the U.N. has denied it. From May 27 to July 31, 859 people were killed near GHF sites, according to a U.N. report Thursday. Hundreds more have been killed along the routes of U.N.-led food convoys. Hamas-led police once guarded those convoys, but Israeli fire targeted the officers. Israel and GHF have claimed the toll has been exaggerated. Airdrops by a Jordan-led coalition — which includes Israel, the UAE, Egypt, France, and Germany — are another approach, though experts say the strategy remains deeply inadequate and even dangerous for people on the ground. 'Let's go back to what works & let us do our job," Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, wrote on social media, calling for more and safer truck deliveries. Hostage families push Israel to cut a deal US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with hostages' families Saturday, a week after quitting ceasefire talks, blaming Hamas' intransigence. 'I didn't hear anything new from him. I heard that there was pressure from the Americans to end this operation, but we didn't hear anything practical,' said Michel Illouz, father of Israeli hostage Guy Illouz. He said he asked Witkoff to set a time frame but got 'no answers.' Protesters called on Israel's government to make a deal to end the war, imploring them to "stop this nightmare and bring them out of the tunnels.' Airstrikes continue Nasser Hospital said it received five bodies after two Israeli strikes on tents sheltering displaced people in Gaza's south. The health ministry's ambulance and emergency service said a strike hit a house between the towns of Zawaida and Deir al-Balah, killing two parents and their three children. Another strike hit a tent in Khan Younis, killing a mother and her daughter. Israel's top general Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned that 'combat will continue without rest' if hostages aren't freed. Coming home to ruins Most Palestinians are crowded into ever-shrinking areas considered safe. 'I don't know what to do. Destruction, destruction," said Mohamed Qeiqa, who returned home to Gaza City and stood amid the neighbourhood's collapsed concrete slabs. 'Where will people settle?' The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians but says women and children make up over half the dead. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. The ministry says 93 children have died from malnutrition-related causes in Gaza since the war began. It said 76 adults have died of malnutrition-related causes since late June, when it started counting adult deaths.
India Today
7 hours ago
- India Today
At least 10 killed as Israeli forces open fire near Gaza aid sites: Report
Israeli forces opened fire near two aid distribution sites run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as crowds of hungry Palestinians again sought food, killing at least 10 people, witnesses and health workers said Saturday. The violence came a day after US officials visited a GHF site and the US ambassador called the troubled system 'an incredible feat.'Another 19 people were shot dead as they crowded near the Zikim crossing from Israel in the hope of obtaining aid, said Fares Awad, head of the Gaza health ministry's ambulance and emergency a week has passed since Israel, under international pressure amid growing scenes of starving children, announced limited humanitarian pauses and airdrops meant to get more food to Gaza's over 2 million people. They now largely rely on aid after almost 22 months of war. But the United Nations, partners and Palestinians say far too little aid is coming in, with months of supplies piled up outside Gaza waiting for Israeli approval. Trucks that enter are mostly stripped of supplies by desperate people and criminal groups before reaching warehouses for this week said a 'worst-case scenario of famine' was occurring. On Saturday, Gaza's health ministry said seven Palestinians had died of malnutrition-related causes over the past 24 hours, including a the northernmost GHF distribution site near the Netzarim corridor, Yahia Youssef, who had come to seek aid, described a grimly familiar scene. After helping carry three people wounded by gunshots, he said he saw others on the ground, bleeding.'It's the same daily episode,' Youssef said. Health workers said at least eight people were killed. Israel's military said it fired warning shots at a gathering approaching its least two people were killed in the Shakoush area hundreds of meters (yards) from where the GHF operates in the southernmost city of Rafah, witnesses said. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received two bodies and many Mohamed Abu Taha said Israeli troops opened fire toward the crowds. He saw three people — two men and a woman — shot as he military said it was not aware of any fire by its forces in the area. The GHF said nothing happened near its says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Israel 's military on Friday said it was working to make the routes under its control GHF — backed by millions of dollars in US support — launched in May as Israel sought an alternative to the U.N.-run system, which had safely delivered aid for much of the war but was accused by Israel of allowing Hamas to siphon off supplies. Israel has not offered evidence for that claim and the UN has denied May 27 to July 31, 859 people were killed near GHF sites, according to a UN report Thursday. Hundreds more have been killed along the routes of UN-led food convoys. Hamas-led police once guarded those convoys, but Israeli fire targeted the and GHF have claimed the toll has been by a Jordan-led coalition — which is made up of Israel, the UAE, Egypt, France, and Germany — are another approach, though experts say the strategy remains deeply inadequate and even dangerous for people on the ground.'Let's go back to what works & let us do our job,' Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, wrote on social media, calling for more and safer truck FAMILIES PUSH ISRAEL TO CUT DEALUS President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with hostages' families Saturday, a week after quitting ceasefire talks, blaming Hamas' intransigence.'I didn't hear anything new from him. I heard that there was pressure from the Americans to end this operation, but we didn't hear anything practical,' said Michel Illouz, father of Israeli hostage Guy Illouz. He said he asked Witkoff to set a time frame but got 'no answers.'advertisementProtesters called on Israel's government to make a deal to end the war, imploring them to 'stop this nightmare and bring them out of the tunnels.'Most Palestinians are crowded into ever-shrinking areas considered safe.'I don't know what to do. Destruction, destruction,' said Mohamed Qeiqa, who returned home to Gaza City and stood amid the neighborhood's collapsed concrete slabs. 'Where will people settle?'The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians but says women and children make up over half the dead. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on ministry says 93 children have died from malnutrition-related causes in Gaza since the war began. It said 76 adults have died of malnutrition-related causes since late June, when it started counting adult deaths.- EndsTrending Reel
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Indian Express
Israeli fire again kills Gaza aid-seekers as US envoy meets with hostages' families
Israeli forces opened fire near two aid distribution sites run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as crowds of hungry Palestinians again sought food, killing at least 10 people, witnesses and health workers said Saturday. The violence came a day after US officials visited a GHF site and the US ambassador called the troubled system 'an incredible feat.' Another 19 people were shot dead as they crowded near the Zikim crossing from Israel in the hope of obtaining aid, said Fares Awad, head of the Gaza health ministry's ambulance and emergency service. Nearly a week has passed since Israel, under international pressure amid growing scenes of starving children, announced limited humanitarian pauses and airdrops meant to get more food to Gaza's over 2 million people. They now largely rely on aid after almost 22 months of war. But the United Nations, partners and Palestinians say far too little aid is coming in, with months of supplies piled up outside Gaza waiting for Israeli approval. Trucks that enter are mostly stripped of supplies by desperate people and criminal groups before reaching warehouses for distribution. Experts this week said a 'worst-case scenario of famine' was occurring. On Saturday, Gaza's health ministry said seven Palestinians had died of malnutrition-related causes over the past 24 hours, including a child. Aid is 'far from sufficient,' Germany's government said via spokesman Stefan Kornelius. The UN has said 500 to 600 trucks of aid are needed daily. Families of the 50 hostages still in Gaza fear they are going hungry too, and blame Hamas, after the militants released images of an emaciated hostage, Evyatar David. Near the northernmost GHF distribution site near the Netzarim corridor, Yahia Youssef, who had come to seek aid, described a grimly familiar scene. After helping carry three people wounded by gunshots, he said he saw others on the ground, bleeding. 'It's the same daily episode,' Youssef said. Health workers said at least eight people were killed. Israel's military said it fired warning shots at a gathering approaching its forces. At least two people were killed in the Shakoush area hundreds of metres (yards) from where the GHF operates in the southernmost city of Rafah, witnesses said. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received two bodies and many injured. Witness Mohamed Abu Taha said Israeli troops opened fire toward the crowds. He saw three people — two men and a woman — shot as he fled. Israel's military said it was not aware of any fire by its forces in the area. The GHF said nothing happened near its sites. GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Israel's military on Friday said it was working to make the routes under its control safer. The GHF — backed by millions of dollars in US support — launched in May as Israel sought an alternative to the UN-run system, which had safely delivered aid for much of the war but was accused by Israel of allowing Hamas to siphon off supplies. Israel has not offered evidence for that claim and the UN has denied it. From May 27 to July 31, 859 people were killed near GHF sites, according to a UN report Thursday. Hundreds more have been killed along the routes of UN-led food convoys. Hamas-led police once guarded those convoys, but Israeli fire targeted the officers. Israel and GHF have claimed the toll has been exaggerated. Airdrops by a Jordan-led coalition — Israel, the UAE, Egypt, France, and Germany — are another approach, though experts say the strategy remains deeply inadequate and even dangerous for people on the ground. 'Let's go back to what works & let us do our job,' Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, wrote on social media, calling for more and safer truck deliveries. Nasser Hospital said it received five bodies after two Israeli strikes on tents sheltering displaced people in Gaza's south. The health ministry's ambulance and emergency service said a strike hit a house between the towns of Zawaida and Deir al-Balah, killing two parents and their three children. Another strike hit a tent in Khan Younis, killing a mother and her daughter. Israel's top general Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned that 'combat will continue without rest' if hostages aren't freed. Hostage families push Israel to cut deal US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with hostages' families Saturday, a week after quitting ceasefire talks, blaming Hamas' intransigence. 'I didn't hear anything new from him. I heard that there was pressure from the Americans to end this operation, but we didn't hear anything practical,' said Michel Illouz, father of Israeli hostage Guy Illouz. He said he asked Witkoff to set a time frame but got 'no answers.' Protesters called on Israel's government to make a deal to end the war, imploring them to 'stop this nightmare and bring them out of the tunnels.' In part of Gaza City, displaced people who managed to return home found rubble-strewn neighbourhoods. Most Palestinians in Gaza are crowded into ever-shrinking areas considered safe. 'I don't know what to do. Destruction, destruction,' said Mohamed Qeiqa, who stood amid collapsed concrete slabs and pointed out a former five-story building. 'Where will people settle?' The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians but says women and children make up over half the dead. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The UN and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. The ministry says 93 children have died from malnutrition-related causes in Gaza since the war began. It said 76 adults have died of malnutrition-related causes since late June, when it started counting adult deaths.
