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37 dead in Gaza as US envoy visits aid sites in enclave

37 dead in Gaza as US envoy visits aid sites in enclave

The National01-08-2025
Dozens of civilians were shot at GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) aid sites described as 'killing zones', including near the Morag Corridor south of Khan Younis.
A drone attack killed two in northern Gaza whilst a body was recovered from the rubble of a previous strike.
READ MORE: University releases statement after rector launches legal action amid Gaza row
Around 111 Palestinians, including 91 killed whilst seeking aid, were killed and 820 wounded in just 24 hours following continued Israeli attacks on aid distribution sites.
At least 159 people, including 89 children, have now died from hunger in Gaza as a result of the man-made famine in the enclave, with most occurring the past few weeks according to Human Rights Watch.
Around 1383 Palestinians have been killed since May 27 after the introduction of new aid distribution systems, with more than 9000 injured according to a statement issued on Friday by Gaza's health ministry.
Only around 100 aid trucks now enter Gaza daily, far below the 600-700 trucks needed to meet basic needs.
Germany is the latest country to begin dropping aid into the enclave, though air drops have been widely criticised for the dangers they pose, including landing in heavily-militarised areas and on tents currently housing displaced people.
The IPC, the UN food security classification, has officially declared famine-level conditions in Gaza, warning of an unfolding catastrophe unless aid access is immediately scaled up.
The US‑backed GHF operates just four militarised aid centres, replacing hundreds of UN‑run sites, forcing civilians into overcrowded, dangerous zones.
On Friday, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited GHF aid distribution sites in southern Gaza to assess the situation in person.
They toured facilities described as 'death traps' by survivors and human rights groups, amid global outrage over systematic killings at food queues.
READ MORE: Renowned British artist to open Gaza exhibition at Scottish Palestine museum
Witkoff is expected to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss expanding aid, ceasefire terms, and hostages.
A White House official said Witkoff will later brief president Donald Trump following his visit, seeking approval for a final plan to accelerate aid deliveries into [[Gaza]].
The total death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 60,000, with thousands missing or presumed dead since the genocide began.
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