Israel kills 72 more Palestinians, wounds 174 in Gaza
Jewish soldiers ordered to shoot at unarmed aid seekers
17,000 children suffer from malnutrition in enclave
Staff Report
GAZA: The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported on Friday that Israeli occupation forces (IOF) killed 72 Palestinians and wounded 174 others in the last 24 hours.
In its latest daily report, the ministry confirmed that the total number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal war on October 7, 2023, has climbed to 56,331 martyrs, with at least 132,632 others injured.
The Ministry of Health also noted that since March 18, when the latest escalation began, 6,008 Palestinians have been killed.
Since March 2, IOF has further tightened its closure of Gaza’s border crossings, blocking the entry of vital humanitarian supplies, including food and medical aid—deepening famine and accelerating mass civilian deaths.
The director of medical relief in Gaza told an Arab channel that the situation in the Strip is getting worse for children.
“We expect a large number of children to die from malnutrition unless a serious intervention occurs,” he said.
“Pressure must be put on the occupation to allow the entry of baby milk and medicine,” the official said, adding that “many surgeries have been postponed due to a shortage of staff, medical supplies, and medicine.”
Israeli soldiers have revealed that they were instructed to shoot at unarmed Palestinians who were waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza, Israeli media reported.
The soldiers, speaking to Haaretz – an Israeli publication, described how they were ordered to open fire on crowds of aid seekers, even though these individuals posed no threat, an Arab channel reported.
According to the report, rather than using non-lethal crowd control measures such as tear gas, the soldiers were told to deploy heavy weaponry like machine guns, grenade launchers, and mortars on the crowds.
One soldier described the situation as a “killing field,” adding that between one and five people were killed every day in these operations.
The Israeli military prosecutor’s office has reportedly requested an investigation into possible war crimes, following accounts from soldiers who detailed their experiences at the aid distribution hubs in Gaza.
Since the aid centres began operating in late May, the Gaza Health Ministry reports that at least 549 people have been killed in the vicinity of these sites.
Despite these reports of violence, the US government recently approved $30 million in funding for the group overseeing these humanitarian efforts, amid concerns raised by human rights organisations regarding the potential complicity of aid staff in these incidents.
Israel has stopped aid from entering northern Gaza but is still allowing it to enter from the south, two officials said on Thursday after images circulated of masked men on aid trucks who clan leaders said were protecting aid, not Hamas stealing it.
