At least 18 Palestinians were killed on Friday in a series of Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported. Among the dead were 10 people who were reportedly shot while waiting for humanitarian aid in the Al-Shakoush area northwest of Rafah, highlighting the growing peril faced by civilians attempting to access food and supplies in the war-torn region.
The deaths come as the United Nations revealed that nearly 800 people have been killed while trying to reach aid since late May, when Israel began easing a stringent blockade. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, said 798 killings had been documented, with 615 occurring near sites operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private initiative backed by the U.S. and Israel.
Operations by GHF have been marred by disorganization and repeated reports of Israeli forces firing on crowds at aid distribution points. The UN and other major humanitarian organizations have refused to engage with the foundation, expressing concerns that it compromises neutrality and may be aligned with Israeli military goals.
Israel’s military acknowledged incidents where civilians were harmed near distribution points but stated that steps had been taken to minimize friction and issue revised protocols to troops.
Additional casualties were reported on Friday, including six people killed in four separate Israeli airstrikes near Khan Yunis in southern Gaza and two others killed in drone attacks around Gaza City. The civil defence also reported that five people were killed in an overnight strike on a school in Jabalia al-Nazla, which had been sheltering displaced families.
Israel has defended its military operations as targeting Hamas infrastructure and weapon caches. However, reports of attacks on displacement camps, schools, and farmland have sparked international concern.
With nearly the entire population of Gaza displaced at least once during the 21-month conflict, humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate. Eyewitnesses report ongoing shelling, bulldozing of shelters, and a relentless military presence near Khan Yunis, as the struggle to survive intensifies for Gaza’s more than two million residents.
