Israel kills 200 people in Gaza Strip in one day, health officials say

At least 200 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to health officials, while the UN said it would halt aid deliveries through the territory’s main crossing after more trucks were stolen.

These developments highlight the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, where tens of thousands of people have been killed by the Israeli military and chronic hunger threatens the civilian population.

On Friday (29), two children and a woman were crushed to death while trying to buy food at a bakery in central Gaza.

Speaking to CNN This Sunday (1st), Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, said that five buildings housing more than 200 people were hit in the areas of Tal Al Zaatar and Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza.

“They were asking for help, and anyone who tried to help was bombarded. Unfortunately, the calls for help have disappeared; they were killed,” Abu Safiya said.

The attack on Tel Al Zaatar left more than 100 people under the rubble, with only one rescued.

“This scene has become a daily occurrence, and no one is held accountable; no one can stop the killing of innocent people”, claimed the doctor.

The Gaza Civil Defense spokesman stated that more than 40 people belonging to the “Al-Araj” family were killed in a single attack on a building in the Tel Al Zaatar neighborhood.

THE CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for further comment on the targeting of the strikes and measures taken to mitigate civilian casualties and is awaiting feedback.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, at least 44,429 people have been killed and more than 105,000 injured in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war last year.

The number is believed to be lower than reality, as much of northern Gaza is inaccessible and many victims never reach a hospital to be counted.

UN stops aid deliveries

There was also the theft of trucks transporting food and other supplies to the Gaza Strip, which caused the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) to interrupt aid deliveries through the main crossing point between Israel and the enclave.

The “difficult decision” to stop deliveries by Kerem Shalom comes at a time when “hunger is rapidly deepening”, warned the head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, this Sunday (30).

The move was taken after “some food trucks” were “taken over” on the route on Saturday, he wrote in X. A source involved in the transfer of aid within Gaza told CNN that five more trucks loaded with flour were stolen near the crossing this Sunday.

“The road leading from this crossing has not been safe for months,” Lazzarini noted in his post, referring to a case on November 16 when nearly 100 aid trucks were stolen by armed gangs in what UNRWA described as “a one of the worst” incidents of this type.

The humanitarian operation in Gaza has become “unnecessarily impossible,” he added, saying there are obstacles from Israeli authorities and political decisions to restrict aid quantities.

Lazzarini emphasized that Israel, as the occupying power, was responsible for protecting aid workers and supplies. Israeli authorities “must ensure that aid flows to Gaza safely and must refrain from attacks on aid workers,” he warned.

COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for approving aid for Gaza, highlighted that “dozens” of other humanitarian organizations continue to deliver supplies to people in the enclave.

“Last week, more than 1,000 trucks carrying humanitarian aid were collected from various crossings and distributed throughout the Gaza Strip,” the agency added in a statement shared with CNN.

“We will continue to work with the international community to increase the amount of aid reaching Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, as well as the other four crossings between Israel and Gaza,” they concluded.

Understand the conflict in the Gaza Strip

Israel has carried out intense airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since last year, after Hamas invaded the country and killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli counts. Furthermore, the radical group holds dozens of hostages.

Hamas does not recognize Israel as a state and claims Israeli territory for Palestine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly promised to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and recover people detained in Gaza.

In addition to the air offensive, the Israeli Army carries out land incursions into Palestinian territory. This caused much of Gaza’s population to be displaced.

The UN and several humanitarian institutions have warned of a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, with a lack of food, medicine and the spread of diseases.

The Israeli population is constantly protesting against Netanyahu, accusing the prime minister of failing to reach a ceasefire agreement so that the hostages can be released.

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Abeer Salman, from CNN, contributed to the report

This content was originally published in Israel kills 200 people in the Gaza Strip in one day, health authorities say on the CNN Brasil website.

Source: CNN Brasil

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