Sun Aug 03 01:57:44 UTC 2025: ## Dozens of Palestinians Killed Seeking Aid in Gaza Amid Growing Famine

**Gaza Strip** – At least 62 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since Saturday morning, with the majority of the deceased seeking desperately needed humanitarian aid, according to hospital sources. Among the dead are 38 individuals who were attempting to access aid distribution sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial organization backed by the United States and Israel.

These deaths occur despite Israel’s recent announcement of “tactical pauses” in fighting, intended to improve aid access for Palestinians. The United Nations Human Rights Office reported that 105 Palestinians were killed while seeking food on Wednesday and Thursday alone, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while trying to access aid to at least 1,373.

The situation is further exacerbated by a growing famine, with 169 Palestinians, including 93 children, having died from starvation or malnutrition since the start of the conflict in October 2023, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Residents have reported instances of Israeli soldiers and American security contractors, hired by the GHF, deliberately firing on aid seekers near distribution sites. The head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, stated that the famine in Gaza has been “largely shaped” by attempts to replace the UN-led aid system with the “politically motivated” GHF. He accused this of being a deliberate measure to punish Palestinians for living in Gaza.

While airdrops of aid by several countries have been initiated, humanitarian organizations, including UNRWA, maintain that these are insufficient and are calling for the free flow of aid via land routes. The Gaza Government Media Office reported that only 36 aid trucks entered the enclave on Saturday, far short of the 600 needed to meet the population’s humanitarian needs.

In a separate incident, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that one of its staff members was killed and three others injured by an Israeli attack on its headquarters in Khan Younis.

UNICEF has warned that malnutrition in Gaza has surpassed famine thresholds, placing 320,000 young children at risk of acute malnutrition. The organization’s deputy executive director, Ted Chaiban, stated that the choices made now will determine whether tens of thousands of children live or die.

The international community continues to express growing condemnation over the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the increasing number of civilian casualties.

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