Mourners march with the body of a person who was killed following reported Israeli attacks on aid queues in the Sudaniya area in northwestern Gaza, during the funeral near Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. AFP
At least five Palestinians were killed and several others injured after Israeli occupation forces opened fire on civilians waiting for humanitarian aid near US-Israeli-backed aid sites in central and southern Gaza, medical sources and witnesses told WAFA news agency.
Over the past weeks, the Israeli army has consistently targeted aid seekers across the Gaza Strip, particularly in Rafah and central Gaza.
These repeated assaults have led to the killing of dozens and injuries to many more, drawing strong condemnation from international organizations.
On Sunday, another Israeli airstrike killed seven people in Beit Lahiya town, medics said.
Since it started its genocidal war on Gaza, Israel has killed at least 55,297 Palestinians and injured over 128,426 others.
The ongoing attacks, coupled with a total blockade on humanitarian aid, have pushed the entire strip to the brink of famine, according to the United Nations.
Struggling for single daily meal
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is “bleak, horrific, and hopeless,” according to UNICEF spokesperson James Elder.
Elder warned that Palestinian families are struggling to secure even a single daily meal for their children, as bombs and missiles enter the besieged territory in far greater quantities than food.
Speaking from Khan Younis in southern Gaza during an official mission, Elder told Anadolu Agency that hopes briefly raised by discussions of a ceasefire have all but vanished.
“There was a momentary uptick in aid and slight improvements in water and food supplies,” he said. “But that optimism has quickly dissolved in the face of a catastrophic blockade on humanitarian relief.”
Families in Gaza, he noted, endure relentless nights under airstrikes and spend their days fleeing hunger and explosions.
“Every known limit of human endurance has been shattered,” Elder stated. “Mothers go without food for days just to provide a single meal for their children.”
Many families have lived in tents for over six months under continuous tank fire and are now being forced to relocate yet again. Gaza has faced this devastating reality for more than 600 days, Elder said.
West Bank under siege
For the third consecutive day, Israeli forces have continued to impose sweeping restrictions across the West Bank.
They severely limited movement by reinforcing military checkpoints, sealing entrances to towns with iron gates and cement blocks, and escalating field closures throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, WAFA reported.
In Hebron and the nearby town of Idhna, Israel turned multiple Palestinian homes into military outposts early Sunday morning.
Nineteen Palestinians were detained across Hebron Governorate as troops escalated their crackdown on towns, villages, refugee camps, and urban neighborhoods.
In Idhna, west of Hebron, Israeli forces maintained a total closure of the town’s main entrance, blocked alternative routes, and deployed heavily across residential streets.
Soldiers stormed homes and commercial properties, making multiple arrests.
A house belonging to the Al-Takrouri family in Hebron’s University neighbourhood was seized and turned into a military post. The family was forcibly evicted and denied access to their belongings, WAFA reported.
In other parts of Idhna, other homes were commandeered by the Israeli military. Residents were informed that troops would remain inside for at least two days, occupying the properties against the owners’ will.
Fifteen more Palestinians were detained in Israeli army raids across the cities of Nablus, Tulkarm, and Bethlehem on Sunday, as the crackdown across the occupied West Bank intensified.
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