Summary
- Israeli strikes killed at least 46 Palestinians overnight.
- Most casualties were civilians seeking food aid.
- Gunfire was also reported in the Gaza Strip.
- U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff traveling to Israel.
- Ceasefire talks with Hamas stalled last week.
As the main international authority on hunger crises claims that Israel's continuous military offensive and siege have resulted in the "worst-case scenario of famine" in the coastal territory of almost 2 million Palestinians, the country has been under increasing international pressure in recent days.
Witkoff will arrive in Israel on Thursday for discussions on the situation in Gaza. Witkoff has spearheaded the Trump administration's efforts to end the almost 22-month conflict and free captives abducted in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that started it.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss preparations that have not yet been made public, a U.S. official confirmed the visit.
According to institutions that received the dead and cared for dozens of injured persons, around 30 of those slain in the most recent violence were looking for humanitarian assistance. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that seven more Palestinians, including a child, perished from malnutrition-related causes.
Regarding all of the strikes, the Israeli military refrained from commenting right away. It claims that because Hamas' militants operate in heavily populated areas, it exclusively targets militants and holds the group accountable for civilian casualties.
Twelve people were killed Tuesday night as Israeli forces opened fire on crowds waiting for aid vehicles arriving from the Zikim border in northern Gaza, according to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
According to the hospital, strikes in the northern towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, as well as the urban Jabaliya refugee camp, claimed the lives of thirteen more people.
16 Palestinians were slain Tuesday evening while waiting for assistance vehicles near the recently constructed Morag corridor, which the Israeli military dug out between Khan Younis and the southernmost city of Rafah, according to Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Four Palestinians' bodies were reported to have been brought to the Awda hospital in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp. According to the report, Israeli fire killed them on Wednesday at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or GHF, assistance distribution center in the Netzarim corridor, which is located south of Wadi Gaza.
Israel took a number of steps over the weekend to allow more foreign aid to enter Gaza in response to intense international criticism, but relief workers believe much more is required.
The primary global authority on hunger crises, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, warned of "widespread death" unless quick action is taken, but refrained from officially declaring famine in Gaza on Tuesday.
More than 220 vehicles entered Gaza on Tuesday, according to COGAT, the Israeli military agency that handles humanitarian entry. That is far less than the 500–600 trucks per day that were allowed during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year, according to U.N. agencies.
The majority of vehicles are unloaded by crowds in Israeli military-controlled areas, making it difficult for the UN to deliver the relief that does enter the strip. Violence has also plagued the alternative aid system operated by the Israeli-backed GHF.
Since May, witnesses, local health officials, and the U.N. human rights office have reported that over 1,000 Palestinians had been slain while attempting to access supplies, the majority of whom were near GHF-run sites. GHF claims that its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to avert dangerous crowds, while the Israeli military claims it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its personnel.
Since the start of the conflict in Gaza, 89 children have perished from starvation. Since late June, when it began keeping track of adult deaths in Gaza, the ministry reported that 65 Palestinian adults have also passed away from malnutrition-related reasons.
Israel claims that the emphasis on hunger jeopardizes ceasefire attempts and denies that there is any starving in Gaza, denying reports to the contrary from humanitarian organizations, U.N. agencies, and witnesses.
Hamas launched the conflict on October 7, 2023, when militants attacked southern Israel, killing almost 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 more. The hostages are still 50, with about 20 of them thought to be alive. In ceasefires or other agreements, the majority of the remaining hostages were freed.
Israel’s retaliatory onslaught has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The count does not differentiate between civilians and militants. The Hamas government is in charge of the ministry. It is the most trustworthy source of casualty data, according to the United Nations and other international organizations.
What are the implications of Witkoff's stalled diplomacy for Gaza’s humanitarian crisis?
The withdrawal of the U.S. negotiating team from ceasefire talks in Doha, due to perceived insincerity from Hamas and stalled progress, means no immediate ceasefire is likely. This prolongs the ongoing hostilities and prevents a peaceful resolution that could halt violence and suffering.
Without a ceasefire, humanitarian access remains severely restricted by Israeli-imposed blockades and security controls. This restricts the flow of essential aid—food, water, medical supplies—while famine and starvation conditions worsen in Gaza, endangering millions of civilians, especially the vulnerable.
Witkoff's announcement that the U.S. will consider alternative approaches, without clarifying what they are, creates uncertainty about the future.