The United Nations (UN) warned this Friday that at least 1,373 Palestinians have died since the end of May while waiting to receive humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip . This figure practically coincides with the one provided by the Gaza Ministry of Health, which announced until Thursday some 1,330 deaths shot by the Israeli armed forces during aid deliveries in the enclave.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights detailed that"the majority of these deaths have been perpetrated by the Israeli army." The agency specified that the shootings continue to take place on distribution routes managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an organization backed by the United States and Israel.
Since 27 May, the UN has documented 859 deaths near GHF distribution areas and an additional 514 along the routes followed by humanitarian convoys. The High Commissioner's office stated:"While we are aware of the presence of other armed elements in the same areas, we have no information indicating that these groups are linked to these deaths."
Between July 30 and 31, 105 Palestinians were killed and 680 injured in the Zikim area, north of the enclave, according to the UN report, which warned of an increase in violence at aid distribution points.
For its part, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the Israeli army of committing “war crimes” in the region and called for an immediate end to the “mass malnutrition” it has caused. In a statement, the NGO denounced the establishment of “a militarized aid distribution system with support from the United States,” noting that “this has turned the delivery of aid into bloodbaths.”
Belkis Wille, HRW’s associate director for conflict and crises, said: “Israel is not only starving Palestinian civilians, it is also shooting them as they desperately search for food for their families.” HRW blamed Israeli forces and private contractors, backed by the United States, for creating conditions that have led to the deaths of more than 1,000 civilians in humanitarian operations.
US President Donald Trump has confirmed he is working on a new aid distribution plan for the Gaza Strip. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited a GHF distribution post on Friday, after the administration has come under heavy criticism for turning aid distributions into flashpoints with mass casualties.
Trump said in a call with Axios: “We want people fed. We want the people of Gaza to survive. This is long overdue.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the new aid distribution strategy will be based on the findings from Witkoff’s trip.
Witkoff said on social media that, along with the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, he spent more than five hours on the Strip to gather information on the humanitarian situation and help Trump define a model for distributing medical supplies and food. The trip coincides with increasing calls for Israel to address the humanitarian emergency and its troop involvement in aid distribution.
The Gaza Humanitarian Fund, according to its spokespersons, distributed its 100 millionth meal during the US envoys' stay. This organization began operations in late May, following the partial lifting of the two-month Israeli aid embargo, which exacerbated food shortages.
