At least 67 people have been killed in northern Gaza while waiting for UN aid, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. The deaths reportedly occurred when Israeli forces opened fire near a convoy delivering humanitarian assistance.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed that its 25-truck convoy had just crossed from Israel and cleared checkpoints when it was met by large crowds of desperate civilians. The agency said the crowds “came under gunfire,” escalating the already dire humanitarian crisis.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged firing “warning shots” to disperse what it described as “an immediate threat,” but it challenged the casualty figures reported by local health authorities.
Meanwhile, the health ministry issued another warning on Saturday, stating that extreme hunger is rapidly worsening across Gaza. It reported that an increasing number of residents are arriving at medical centers in states of “extreme exhaustion and fatigue.”
