By Andreas Lundberg 
At least 67 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured by Israeli fire while awaiting U.N. aid trucks in northern Gaza on Sunday, the Gaza health ministry reported. The attack, among the deadliest in recent aid-related incidents, coincided with new Israeli evacuation orders in areas packed with displaced people, exacerbating a severe hunger crisis.
The ministry said six others died near a southern Gaza aid site, with a total of 90 killed across the enclave on Sunday. Israel’s military claimed its troops fired warning shots in northern Gaza to counter an “immediate threat” from a large crowd, denying targeting aid trucks and questioning casualty figures. No comment was provided on the southern incident.
The U.N. World Food Programme reported its convoy of 25 food aid trucks faced “massive crowds of hungry civilians” who came under fire. “Any violence involving civilians seeking aid is unacceptable,” the WFP stated. UNRWA demanded Israel allow more aid into Gaza, where it has enough food for over three months, currently blocked.
In Deir al-Balah, Israeli airstrikes hit three houses after leaflets urged evacuation. Displaced families fled as the military targeted “terrorist infrastructure,” suspecting Hamas holds hostages there. Hostage families, with at least 20 of 50 captives believed alive, feared for their safety.
The war, triggered by a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 and taking 251 hostages, has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, per health officials, and displaced nearly Gaza’s entire population. The ministry reported 71 children dead from malnutrition, with 60,000 others at risk. On Sunday, 18 died of hunger, as food prices soar beyond affordability.
Residents described dire conditions, many surviving on one or no meals daily. “People who didn’t die of bombs will die of hunger,” said Ziad, a nurse. Pope Leo condemned the “barbarity of war” after an Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church killed three. A Hamas official warned the crisis could derail Doha ceasefire talks for a 60-day truce.
Dale Chaucer