In Gaza, More Palestinians Killed While Waiting for Food Aid

At least 325 people in Gaza have been killed in just one week while trying to reach food, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. These deaths, including 24 on Saturday alone, come despite Israel’s declared humanitarian pauses to allow aid deliveries as famine and starvation take hold across the territory.

The Israeli military insists it has only fired warning shots in such incidents. But aid seekers say otherwise. On Wednesday alone, over 90 people were reportedly killed while trying to grab flour off incoming aid trucks near a border zone guarded by Israeli soldiers.

Shortage

While Israel has recently allowed more trucks and aid airdrops into Gaza, humanitarian agencies say it’s not even close to what’s needed. Hunger is worsening, and aid convoys are often overwhelmed before they can reach distribution centers. The United Nations World Food Program reports that nearly all food supplies are being looted by desperate crowds or armed groups.

U.N.-backed hunger experts say a famine is now unfolding in Gaza. A ceasefire earlier this year had allowed aid to be delivered more safely. But since Israel gained full control of the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border, the pipeline for humanitarian supplies has broken down.

Control

Israel says aid restrictions are meant to prevent Hamas from stealing supplies. However, many international agencies argue this is collective punishment. Some groups even claim that Israel is supporting local armed gangs to destabilize Hamas while those same gangs loot aid trucks.

Meanwhile, aid airdrops have ramped up through a Jordanian-led coalition, but officials admit these are a last resort. Airdrops often miss their targets, landing in unsafe areas or the sea. Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, posted online that one aid truck can carry more than 20 airdrops combined, calling them inefficient and symbolic rather than strategic.

GHF Sites

President Trump’s team is leaning on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an organization receiving millions in U.S. funding and operating under Israeli supervision. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited a GHF food distribution site on Friday. Huckabee praised the operation, calling it “an incredible feat.”

But not everyone agrees. A U.N. report published just before the visit documented 859 deaths near GHF locations between May 27 and July 31. Hundreds more have died along routes leading to food convoys.

Eyewitnesses report violence and gunfire near GHF locations. One man told the Associated Press he had helped several people who had been shot on Saturday while trying to get food. Still, GHF officials denied any incidents occurred near their sites.

Fallout

Hamas dismissed Witkoff’s visit as a “deceptive show,” saying it did nothing to address the dire situation. Meanwhile, malnutrition-related deaths continue to rise. On Saturday alone, Gaza health authorities recorded seven more, including a child.

While U.S. officials focus on managing distribution through GHF, critics argue the United Nations remains the only organization with the experience and neutrality to deliver aid effectively.

Hostages

Back in Israel, families of hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack are urging for a ceasefire to bring their loved ones home. Some met with Witkoff in Tel Aviv, where he reportedly shared Trump’s intention to pursue a wide-ranging hostage deal that includes Hamas disarming and Israel agreeing to end the war. Both Hamas and Prime Minister Netanyahu have rejected similar proposals in the past.

Support

In a separate development, a U.S. Jewish organization is providing financial support to Christians in Gaza. The American Jewish Committee donated $25,000 to help restore the Holy Family Catholic Church, one of only two churches in Gaza. The building was heavily damaged during recent Israeli strikes and has been a refuge for Palestinian Christians.

This donation comes amid growing calls for a ceasefire from Jewish groups and U.S. lawmakers alike.

As humanitarian suffering escalates, aid remains stuck in a political and logistical deadlock. And every day it continues, more lives are lost—not to war directly, but to hunger, thirst, and desperation.

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