At least 51 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air and ground assaults across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to medical sources, as international aid organizations continued struggling to distribute limited humanitarian supplies entering the besieged enclave.
Medical officials told Al Jazeera that the casualties include 25 people killed in Gaza City and the northern parts of the territory. In central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, 10 civilians — nine from the same family — were killed when an Israeli strike hit an area sheltering displaced people, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Another five people died in an attack on the Bakhit family’s home in the as-Saftawi area of northwest Gaza, according to Wafa. Meanwhile, in Beit Lahiya, a tank shell ignited a fire in a medicine warehouse inside Al-Awda Hospital, which rescue workers spent hours trying to extinguish, the health ministry said. Tanks outside the hospital have reportedly made access nearly impossible.
The violence comes as humanitarian agencies manage to bring in and distribute limited aid. The United Nations reported that around 90 trucks carrying food and medical supplies entered Gaza in recent days. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the shipments included wheat flour, medicine, and nutritional items.
However, aid distribution faces major obstacles due to ongoing fighting, the threat of looting, and logistical coordination issues with Israeli authorities. UN spokesperson Jens Laerke noted that access to northern Gaza remains blocked, where thousands remain under siege.
On Wednesday, Gaza’s Government Media Office said 87 aid trucks were assigned to local and international organizations to address "urgent humanitarian needs." Al Jazeera’s Tarek Abu Azzoum reported that some bakeries in Deir el-Balah had resumed operations after receiving supplies, calling it a "significant logistical step," but warned that aid remains a mere "trickle" compared to the population’s urgent needs.
Israel eases Gaza blockade slightly; only 5 aid trucks enter since Monday
The UN continues to push for a daily minimum of 500 aid trucks to enter Gaza amid growing warnings of famine. The blockade has left the territory critically short on food, medicine, and other essentials. According to the UN, over half a million people — one in five in Gaza — are facing starvation.
Pope Leo XIV called the humanitarian situation "painful and worrying" and urged for unrestricted aid delivery.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a new aid distribution system would be implemented soon, amid international criticism. He also announced plans to establish a so-called “sterile zone” in Gaza, free from Hamas, where civilians would be relocated and provided with supplies.
Since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, Gaza’s health ministry says at least 3,509 people have been killed. The total death toll since the start of the war in October 2023 has risen to 53,655, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Source: AL Jazeera