The UN human rights office reported Friday that at least 1,760 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid in Gaza since late May. The figure marks a sharp rise from 1,373 deaths recorded at the start of August, underscoring the conflict’s relentless toll.
According to the agency’s office for the Palestinian territories, 994 were killed near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, and 766 along aid convoy routes. Most deaths, it said, were caused by Israeli military fire, a claim Israel denies, asserting its operations target Hamas and aim to protect civilians.
Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli fire killed 38 people on Friday, including 12 waiting for humanitarian aid. Independent verification remains impossible, with media access restricted and large parts of the territory unreachable due to ongoing military activity.
Israel’s military chief announced plans for a new Gaza offensive to dismantle Hamas and free hostages, focusing on Gaza City and nearby camps. These areas, among the world’s most crowded, have endured nearly two years of war and escalating bombardment in recent weeks.
Residents describe intensified air strikes on residential blocks, while Hamas accuses Israel of “aggressive” ground incursions on the city’s edges. Israeli forces confirmed operations on Gaza City’s outskirts Friday, despite mounting global criticism and opposition at home.
UN experts warn famine is tightening its grip on the enclave, where aid deliveries are severely restricted under Israeli blockade measures. The war began in October 2023, when Hamas’s assault killed 1,219 in Israel, prompting a large-scale Israeli military response.
Since then, Israel’s offensive has killed at least 61,827 Palestinians, according to Gaza health ministry figures the UN deems credible. In Gaza’s shattered streets, queues for food often end in tragedy, as survival itself becomes a battleground.
