Palestinians sheltering in tents and seeking food were among at least 33 people killed by Israeli strikes and shootings in Gaza today, after a famine was announced.
It comes after warnings from aid groups for months that Israel’s restrictions on food into Gaza are causing starvation among civilians.
Yet, Israel is still dismissing the famine declaration as false, as its military presses ahead with plans to seize Gaza City.
Israeli strikes killed at least 17 people in the southern Gaza Strip early on Saturday, according to morgue records and health officials at Nasser Hospital.
The strikes targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, which is home to hundreds of thousands who were forced to flee from elsewhere in Gaza. More than half of the dead are women and children.
In northern Gaza, Israeli gunfire killed at least five aid-seekers near the Zikim crossing with Israel, where the UN and other agencies’ convoys enter the enclave, health officials at the Sheikh Radwan field hospital said.
Eleven people were killed in other attacks on Gaza elsewhere on Saturday, according to hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Israel’s military claimed they were not aware of a strike in Khan Younis at that location and was ‘looking into’ the other incidents.
Yesterday, a famine was officially been declared in Gaza for the first time in history since Israel launched its full-scale war on Palestinians 22 months ago.
With United Nations food distribution centres shut down, bakeries bombed and humanitarian access throttled by Israel, more than 271 people – 121 of them children – have died from hunger so far.
Metro previously spoke with Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of UNRWA, the UN agency which supports Palestinian refugees, who warned that Israel is using hunger as a weapon of war in the Palestinian territory.
Almost three months later, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has now declared famine in Gaza.
More than half a million people in Gaza are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death.
Another 1.07 million people are in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), and 396,000 people are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3), a report by the IPC said.
Conditions are only expected to further worsen by the end of September, with famine projected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.
Nearly a third of Gaza’s population (641,000 people) is expected to face catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5), while those in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) will likely rise to 1.14 million.
In response to global outrage over images of emaciated children, Israel in recent weeks has allowed airdrops and a new influx of aid entering by land, but UN and other aid agencies say the food reaching Gaza is still not nearly enough.
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Journalists have reported chaos and security problems on roads leading to aid deliveries, and there have been reports of Israeli troops firing towards people seeking aid.
Israel’s military says warning shots are fired if individuals approach the troops or pose a threat to soldiers.
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