On Sunday, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that at least 18 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes and gunfire. This included seven individuals shot dead while waiting to collect food aid. Mahmud Bassal, the civil defense spokesperson, confirmed that a drone strike hit a hospital courtyard in Gaza City, killing seven people. Witnesses indicated that the victims were part of a Hamas unit responsible for distributing aid and combating theft. The Israeli military has not commented on the incident, which comes as it prepares for a larger offensive in Gaza City.
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Amid escalating violence, airstrikes across Gaza continued overnight and into the morning, with four more casualties in a strike that targeted a shelter for displaced Palestinians in Khan Yunis. The intense bombardment of Gaza City’s Zeitun neighborhood also led to numerous casualties, but civil defense efforts remain hindered by ongoing violence and a lack of resources. Meanwhile, experts from the UN have warned of the looming famine in Gaza due to restricted humanitarian aid and repeated looting of aid convoys.
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The situation worsened with the Israeli defense ministry announcing plans to move civilians out of combat zones, particularly in Gaza City, ahead of a broader military offensive. Hamas condemned these plans as part of Israel’s attempt to occupy Gaza City. On the ground, six additional deaths occurred when Israeli gunfire targeted people near an aid distribution point in southern Gaza, with another fatality reported at a similar site in central Gaza.
