The Israeli navy has killed dozens of individuals in Gaza because the hunger disaster within the territory deepens amid a world outcry, with extra Palestinians dying of malnutrition.
Medical sources instructed Al Jazeera that Israeli assaults killed not less than 71 individuals throughout Gaza on Saturday, together with 42 desperately in search of assist.
The Ministry of Well being in Gaza additionally stated that hospitals have recorded 5 extra deaths attributable to starvation brought on by the Israeli blockade of the enclave, bringing the full dying toll from malnutrition to 127 because the battle started. The victims embrace 85 kids.
With anger internationally mounting over the disaster, Israel introduced late on Saturday that it could implement a pause to its assault “in civilian facilities and in humanitarian corridors to allow the distribution of assist provide” on Sunday.
The Israeli Ministry of International Affairs didn’t specify which particular areas would see a “humanitarian pause”.
The ministry additionally once more blamed the United Nations for failing to distribute help in Gaza, a declare that has been rejected by each the UN and a number of assist and rights teams.
UN officers have stated that this Israeli speaking level is fake, stressing that they haven’t obtained the required permits to securely distribute assist within the besieged enclave.
Airdrops’ impact is ‘equal to none’
The Israeli navy additionally stated it carried out airdrops of worldwide assist over Gaza. The United Arab Emirates, which has shut financial and diplomatic ties with Israel, additionally stated it’s going to start airdropping assist into Gaza “instantly”.
However humanitarian specialists have been warning since final 12 months that airdrops are harmful to individuals on the bottom and can’t function an alternative to protected land routes to distribute meals and medical provides.
Earlier on Saturday, Philippe Lazzarini, the pinnacle of the UN company for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, known as airdrops an costly, inefficient “distraction” that may “not reverse the deepening hunger”.
Lazzarini known as for Israel to “raise the siege, open the gates (and) assure protected actions (and) dignified entry to individuals in want”.
Reporting from Gaza Metropolis, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud raised questions over the newly introduced Israeli steps.
He stated the airdrops’ impact is “equal to none”.
“We’re speaking about solely seven pallets of assist crammed with flour and different fundamental requirements. That’s virtually the load of 1 truck, or half of a truck, coming from the crossings into the Gaza Strip,” Mahmoud stated.
He cited witnesses who stated the airdrops befell close to a restricted navy space in northern Gaza, making retrieving them in the dead of night particularly troublesome.
Equally, Israel’s plan to permit for so-called “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza beginning on Sunday could have no main impact on the hunger disaster, Mahmoud stated.
“Once more, this isn’t an answer after we discuss passing the tipping level of this enforced hunger, and in line with medical sources we spoke to earlier at present, they confirmed that at this level we’re going to see mass scale hunger mortality,” he stated.
As hunger spreads, Israel has pressed on with its every day bombardment of Gaza.
Not less than six individuals had been killed in an Israeli drone assault on a tent camp in al-Mawasi close to Khan Younis on Saturday. The realm designated as a protected zone by Israel has come below fixed lethal assault by its forces.
In the meantime, the Civil Defence company in Gaza says none of its autos will have the ability to provide lifesaving companies quickly attributable to disrepair and lack of gas, calling on the worldwide neighborhood to behave.
“We stress the necessity for an pressing intervention to strain the Israeli occupation authorities to permit gas and restore elements for autos to enter,” the Civil Defence stated in an announcement.
Whereas some Western nations have made strongly-worded statements in opposition to Israel’s insurance policies in Gaza, advocates have been calling for actual penalties to make sure accountability and deter additional Israeli abuses. Punitive sanctions in opposition to Israel have been raised as potentialities.
Handala ship intercepted
Shortly after making its airdrops announcement, the Israeli navy raided a ship of worldwide activists carrying child method, meals and medical provides to Gaza.
A livestream confirmed Israeli troopers boarding and intercepting the Handala vessel with 19 activists onboard. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organised the help ship, stated the vessel was violently seized in worldwide waters.
“The unarmed boat was carrying life-saving provides when it was boarded by Israeli forces, its passengers kidnapped, and its cargo seized,” the coalition stated in an announcement. “The interception occurred in worldwide waters outdoors Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, in violation of worldwide maritime regulation.”
#Handala has been intercepted by the israeli occupation forces pic.twitter.com/0Mw1gZUNyi
— Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) July 26, 2025
It’s not clear what is going to occur to the advocates. Final month, Israel intercepted the Madleen assist ship and towed it to an Israeli boat earlier than detaining the activists, after which interrogating and deporting them.
Ann Wright, a member of the Freedom Flotilla Steering Committee, known as for the safety of the worldwide activists by their dwelling nations.
“Defend harmless worldwide people who find themselves merely accompanying a small quantity of assist – medical and meals – as a logo of the worldwide outrage at what Israel is doing,” Wright instructed Al Jazeera.
The Gaza Authorities Media Workplace known as the interception of Handala a criminal offense of piracy.
“This blatant aggression represents a serious violation of worldwide regulation and the foundations of maritime navigation, and it exhibits as soon as extra that the (Israeli) occupation acts like a bully outdoors the authority of the regulation,” the workplace stated in an announcement.
