Palestinians carry sacks of flour unloaded from a humanitarian assist convoy that reached Gaza Metropolis from the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, July 26, 2025.
Jehad Alshrafi/AP
conceal caption
toggle caption
Jehad Alshrafi/AP
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s navy introduced that airdrops of assist would start Saturday night time in Gaza, and humanitarian corridors will likely be established for United Nations convoys, after growing accounts of starvation-related deaths.
The assertion late Saturday adopted months of consultants’ warnings of famine amid Israeli restrictions on assist. Worldwide criticism, together with by shut allies, has grown as a number of hundred Palestinians have been killed in latest weeks whereas attempting to achieve meals distribution websites.
The navy assertion didn’t say the place the airdrops or humanitarian corridors could be. It additionally stated the navy is ready to implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas. Israel’s international ministry stated late Saturday the humanitarian pauses would begin Sunday in “civilian facilities” together with humanitarian corridors.
The navy “emphasizes that fight operations haven’t ceased” in Gaza towards Hamas, and it asserted there’s “no hunger” within the territory, the place many of the inhabitants of over 2 million has been displaced right into a shrinking space with little infrastructure. Nearly all of folks depend on assist.
Witness accounts from Gaza have been grim. Some well being staff are so weakened by starvation that they put themselves on IV drips to maintain treating the badly malnourished. Dad and mom have proven their limp and emaciated youngsters. Wounded males have described determined dashes for assist below gunfire.
The navy assertion stated airdrops could be performed in coordination with worldwide assist organizations. It was not clear the place they’d be carried out. And it wasn’t clear what function the not too long ago created and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Basis — meant as an alternate to the U.N. assist system — may play. GHF chair Johnnie Moore in an announcement stated the group stood prepared to help.
At the least 53 killed
Israeli airstrikes and gunshots killed at the very least 53 folks in Gaza in a single day and into Saturday, most of them shot useless whereas in search of assist, in line with Palestinian well being officers and the native ambulance service.
Lethal Israeli gunfire was reported twice near the Zikim crossing with Israel within the north. Within the first incident, at the very least a dozen folks ready for assist vans had been killed, stated employees at Shifa hospital, the place our bodies had been taken. Israel’s navy stated it fired warning photographs to distance a crowd “in response to a direct risk.”
A witness, Sherif Abu Aisha, stated folks began operating once they noticed a lightweight that they thought was from assist vans, however as they obtained shut, they realized it was Israel’s tanks. That is when the military began firing, he advised The Related Press. He stated his uncle was amongst these killed.
“We went as a result of there is no such thing as a meals … and nothing was distributed,” he stated.
On Saturday night, Israeli forces killed at the very least 11 folks and wounded 120 others once they fired towards crowds who tried to get meals from an getting into U.N. convoy, Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of Shifa hospital, advised the AP.
“We predict the numbers to surge within the subsequent few hours,” he stated. There was no fast navy remark.
AP video confirmed a gaggle of weary Palestinian males carrying a physique together with sacks of flour. They stated he was hit by a truck however had no particulars. “You die to fetch some meals on your youngsters,” stated one man, Fayez Abu Riyala, skinny and sweating.
Within the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, Israeli forces shot useless at the very least 9 folks attempting to get assist getting into via the Morag hall, in line with the hospital’s morgue information. There was no fast navy remark.
Elsewhere, these killed in strikes included 4 folks in an house constructing in Gaza Metropolis and at the very least eight, together with 4 youngsters, within the crowded tent camp of Muwasi in Khan Younis, hospitals stated.
Turning to airdrops, with a warning
The airdrops had been requested by neighboring Jordan, and a Jordanian official stated they primarily will drop meals and milk method. The United Arab Emirates stated airdrops would begin “instantly.” Britain stated it plans to work with companions to airdrop assist and evacuate youngsters requiring medical help.
However the head of the United Nations company for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned that airdrops are “costly, inefficient and might even kill ravenous civilians” and will not reverse the growing hunger or stop assist diversion.
Whereas Israel’s military has stated it permits assist into the enclave with no restrict on the vans that may enter, the U.N. says it’s hampered by navy restrictions on its actions and legal looting. The Hamas-run police had offered safety for assist supply, however it has been unable to function after being focused by airstrikes.
Israel on Saturday stated over 250 vans carrying assist from the U.N. and different organizations entered Gaza this week. About 600 vans entered per day in the course of the newest ceasefire that Israel resulted in March.
Israel faces rising worldwide strain. Greater than two dozen Western-aligned nations and over 100 charity and human rights teams have known as for an finish to the battle, harshly criticizing Israel’s blockade and a brand new assist supply mannequin it has rolled out.
Greater than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since Might whereas attempting to get meals, principally close to the brand new assist websites run by the GHF, an American contractor, the U.N. human rights workplace says.
The charities and rights teams stated their very own employees struggled to get sufficient meals.
Inside Gaza, youngsters with no preexisting situations have begun to starve to loss of life.
“We solely need sufficient meals to finish our starvation,” stated Wael Shaaban at a charity kitchen in Gaza Metropolis as he tried to feed his household of six.
In the meantime, an activist boat attempting to achieve Gaza with assist, the Handala, livestreamed video exhibiting Israeli forces boarding round midnight. There was no fast Israeli remark.
Stalled ceasefire talks
Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas had been at a standstill after the U.S. and Israel recalled negotiating groups on Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Friday his authorities was contemplating “different choices” to talks. A Hamas official, nevertheless, stated negotiations had been anticipated to renew subsequent week and known as the delegations’ recall a strain tactic.
Egypt and Qatar, which mediate alongside the US, stated talks would resume however didn’t say when.
“Our family members wouldn’t have time for one more spherical of negotiations, and they won’t survive one other partial deal,” stated Zahiro Shahar Mor, nephew of hostage Avraham Munder, one among 50 nonetheless in Gaza from Hamas’ assault on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the battle. Mor spoke at a weekly rally in Tel Aviv.
Greater than 59,700 Palestinians have been killed in the course of the battle, in line with Gaza’s Well being Ministry. Its depend does not distinguish between militants and civilians, however the ministry says that greater than half of the useless are girls and kids. The ministry operates below the Hamas authorities. The U.N. and different worldwide organizations see it as probably the most dependable supply of information on casualties.
