Gaza Civil Defence Reports 37 Killed by Israeli Fire

Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that at least 37 people were killed by Israeli fire on Saturday, including 30 civilians who were waiting to collect aid.

Incident Details

Mahmud Bassal, a civil defence spokesman, told AFP that Israeli forces opened fire on civilians gathered near a border crossing in northern Gaza, which has been used for aid deliveries. This attack resulted in 12 deaths and nearly 200 injuries.

Bassal further reported that six people were killed and 30 wounded after Israeli troops targeted civilians assembling near an aid distribution point in central Gaza. Additional strikes in central Gaza caused multiple casualties.

Meanwhile, a drone attack near Khan Yunis in the south killed at least three people and injured several others.

Verification and Media Access

Media restrictions in Gaza and limited access to many areas make it difficult for AFP to independently verify casualty figures and incident details provided by the civil defence and Israeli military sources.

Thousands of Palestinians gather daily near food distribution points across Gaza, including four managed by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Since operations began in late May, reports of Israeli forces firing on civilians waiting for aid have been almost daily occurrences

Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

Israeli restrictions on supplies entering Gaza, imposed since the war began nearly two years ago, have caused severe shortages of food and essential goods. Medical supplies and fuel, necessary for hospitals to power generators, are among the critical shortages.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire, aiming to prevent famine among Gaza’s population of over two million and to secure the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants.

Israeli Military Plans and Global Reaction

On Friday, Israel’s security cabinet approved plans for a major military operation to seize Gaza City, provoking widespread international outrage.

Despite reports of dissent among senior Israeli military officials, Netanyahu has remained resolute.

In a social media post late on Friday, Netanyahu stated:

“We are not going to occupy Gaza — we are going to free Gaza from Hamas.”

Responses from Palestinian Militants and Casualty Figures

Hamas, the Palestinian militant group responsible for the attack on 7 October 2023 that triggered the war, condemned the planned escalation as a “new war crime”.

The offensive by Israel has claimed over 61,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s health ministry, a figure regarded as reliable by the United Nations.