Eight Palestinians were killed and others injured today, Sunday, in an airstrike by Israeli planes on Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) quoted eyewitnesses as saying, “The occupation planes targeted a small truck carrying humanitarian aid for distribution in the city of Deir al-Balah, resulting in the martyrdom of eight Palestinians and the injury of others.” According to the agency, “The Gaza Strip, which is subject to continuous Israeli aggression by land, sea, and air, is experiencing extremely difficult humanitarian conditions that amount to famine.”
Earlier today, Sunday, the Gaza Government Media Office confirmed that famine is deepening in the sector and that aerial aid drops are ineffective, holding the American administration, the international community, and the Israeli occupation responsible. The office said in a press statement that “two million and four hundred thousand people are suffering from a severe shortage of food, and famine is deepening further in the North Gaza and Gaza governorates. This disaster has already claimed the lives of children, with 15 children having died so far due to hunger, malnutrition, and dehydration, threatening the lives of more than 700,000 Palestinian citizens suffering from severe hunger.”
The office affirmed that “the policy of closing land crossings to relief, supply, and food aid convoys is considered a war crime contrary to international law, international humanitarian law, and all international conventions, which is what the occupation is doing against our Palestinian people, since the beginning of the genocide war.”
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has significantly deteriorated following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) offensive. Over 700,000 civilians have been forced to evacuate from the northern areas of Gaza, moving southward as Israel prepares for a ground offensive. Despite this mass displacement, around 350,000 people still remain in Gaza City and the surrounding refugee camps, facing dire conditions.
The first humanitarian aid convoy since the outbreak of the war arrived in the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, bringing life-saving supplies. However, the aid provided was only a fraction of what is needed to address the needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. The situation has reached catastrophic levels, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning that the aid convoy will “barely begin to address the escalating health needs” in Gaza. At least 20 humanitarian aid workers have been killed in the intense fighting, which has also hampered relief efforts. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for the protection of aid workers, civilians, and critical infrastructure, emphasizing the urgent need for restraint and protection of civilian facilities as several hospitals have been damaged or destroyed in the fighting.
The medical services in Gaza are facing a catastrophic shortage of medical supplies due to Israel’s total blockade. Hospitals and health facilities are rapidly running out of emergency, trauma, and surgical supplies, with the entry of humanitarian supplies still not possible. The healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, with hospitals running on external generators that are nearing their last hours of operation. This situation places thousands of patients at immediate risk, including those suffering from severe conditions like kidney and cancer-related illnesses.
Food security is another critical issue, with nearly half a million people unable to access food rations due to the closure of distribution centers since the start of the Israeli attacks on October 7. The availability of basic food supplies like eggs, bread, and vegetables is severely limited, leading to a desperate scramble for available food, with children getting first priority.
Drinking water has become even more scarce in Gaza, with families spending hours searching for water. When found, it is primarily through private vendors operating small desalination and water purification plants, mainly powered by solar energy. Others have had to resort to drinking brackish water from agricultural wells, raising concerns about waterborne diseases such as cholera.