Israel Kills 43 in Gaza Strikes, Including 13 Seeking Aid
WafricNews – June 23, 2025
Gaza Strip – At least 43 Palestinians were killed across Gaza on Monday as Israeli air and ground operations intensified in the besieged enclave. Among the victims were at least 13 individuals attempting to access humanitarian aid, according to medical sources and local reporters.
The strikes, which began in the early hours, targeted multiple residential and civilian zones, including areas near aid distribution sites. Health officials say the day’s attacks push the overall Palestinian death toll to over 56,000 since Israel launched its offensive nearly 20 months ago.
The fatalities included 20 people caught near food distribution points operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an entity backed by both the United States and Israel. The GHF has faced growing international criticism for what the United Nations calls the “weaponisation” of aid.
Local observers and aid groups say the sites—intended to deliver emergency supplies—have instead become hotspots for bloodshed. Since GHF operations began on May 27, Israeli strikes near these centres have reportedly killed over 400 people and wounded 1,000 more.
“Families risk everything just to put food on the table, and are met with gunfire and air strikes,” said one field medic in central Gaza, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Air Strikes Across the Strip
According to Wafa, the Palestinian news agency, four civilians were killed in a strike on a residential block in Jabalia, northern Gaza. In nearby Beit Lahiya, three brothers were killed while inspecting what remained of their bombed-out home in al-Salateen.
In central Gaza, the al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat refugee camp reported receiving the bodies of two people and treating 35 wounded from an Israeli strike along Salah al-Din Street. Sixteen of those injured remain in critical condition.
Israeli artillery also shelled the Shujayea neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City, intensifying fears among displaced families sheltering in tents and makeshift homes.
Hani Mahmoud, reporting for Al Jazeera from Gaza City, described a relentless onslaught. “While Israel escalates its confrontation with Iran, the air strikes on Gaza remain constant. Tents, homes, food lines—all are targets,” he said.
Aid and Energy Blockade Compounding Crisis
The violence comes amid a mounting humanitarian catastrophe. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) released a stark report warning that Israel's deliberate withholding of fuel and electricity is exacerbating Gaza’s collapse.
“This is not just an energy crisis—it’s a survival crisis,” said Benedicte Giaever, Executive Director of NORCAP, an NRC-affiliated body. “Without fuel, families can’t cook. Without power, hospitals shut down. It is a direct attack on the right to life.”
The NRC’s findings highlight critical consequences: surgeries delayed, ventilators and incubators offline, and water systems paralyzed.
Israel continues to maintain a near-total blockade on Gaza’s border crossings, cutting off deliveries of food, medical supplies, and basic utilities, in violation of repeated international humanitarian appeals.
Growing Calls for Action
Human rights organisations and civil society groups are intensifying calls for global intervention. “The scenes in Gaza are no longer just tragic—they’re criminal,” said one legal expert with ties to the International Federation for Human Rights.
As civilian casualties mount and infrastructure collapses, Gaza’s population faces a future defined by starvation, siege, and systematic destruction—unless, as many warn, the international community steps in with urgency and resolve.
By WafricNews Desk.
By WafricNews Desk.
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