Sun Aug 03 14:02:33 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

On August 3, 2025, Israeli forces allegedly killed at least 23 Palestinians seeking food aid in the Gaza Strip, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis. Witnesses described indiscriminate gunfire as desperate crowds approached aid distribution sites. Hospitals confirmed receiving bodies from various locations near these sites. This incident follows a pattern of similar attacks near aid points, with the UN reporting hundreds of deaths in recent months. Malnutrition-related deaths are also rising, with dozens of adults and children dying due to starvation and related causes. The situation is compounded by Israel’s blockade and ongoing offensive, which have led to warnings of imminent famine. Israel claims the death tolls have been exaggerated. The war began in October 2023 after a Hamas attack on Israel, resulting in significant casualties on both sides.

**News Article:**

**Gaza Death Toll Climbs as Israeli Forces Allegedly Open Fire on Food-Seeking Palestinians**

*Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip -* At least 23 Palestinians were reportedly killed on Sunday, August 3, 2025, by Israeli forces while attempting to obtain food aid in the Gaza Strip. Hospital officials and eyewitnesses claim that soldiers opened fire on desperate crowds near aid distribution sites, as the territory grapples with severe food shortages and a looming famine.

Eyewitness accounts describe chaotic scenes of gunfire as hungry Palestinians surged towards aid points. “I couldn’t stop and help them because of the bullets,” said Yousef Abed, a witness to the alleged shootings.

Southern Gaza’s Nasser Hospital reported receiving bodies from multiple locations near aid distribution sites, including a facility operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The GHF, a U.S. and Israeli-backed contractor, took over aid distribution in May amid accusations that the UN-run system was allowing Hamas to divert supplies – claims which the UN denies.

These deaths follow a pattern of similar incidents in recent months. The United Nations reported 859 deaths near GHF sites from May 27 to July 31, as well as hundreds more along UN-led food convoy routes.

Adding to the tragedy, the Gaza health ministry announced six more malnutrition-related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total adult death toll to 82 in the past five weeks. Ninety-three children have also died due to malnutrition since the start of the war in 2023.

The Gaza Strip, home to over 2 million Palestinians, is facing a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by Israel’s blockade and ongoing military offensive, which began in response to a Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.

While the GHF maintains its contractors have only used non-lethal methods, such as pepper spray, to control crowds, and the Israeli military claims it only fires warning shots, Palestinian eyewitnesses dispute these accounts. Neither the Israeli military nor GHF immediately responded to requests for comment regarding Sunday’s reported fatalities.

The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 60,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and approximately 1,200 Israelis in the initial Hamas attack. The international community is increasingly concerned about the escalating humanitarian crisis and the rising death toll in Gaza.

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