Gaza Famine Deepens as Israeli Offensive Kills 33/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ At least 33 Palestinians were killed Saturday in Gaza as famine grips Gaza City and Israeli strikes intensify. Aid groups warn hunger is spreading while Israel prepares for a new offensive. Ceasefire talks remain stalled as pressure builds on both Israel and Hamas.
Gaza City Offensive and Famine: Quick Looks
- Deaths Reported: 33 Palestinians killed in strikes and gunfire Saturday
- Victims: Women, children, and displaced families in tents targeted
- Aid Chaos: Crowds braved gunfire at Zikim crossing to seek food
- Famine Declaration: Half a million Gazans face catastrophic hunger
- Israeli Position: Denies famine, says Hamas withholds aid and food
- Military Action: Airstrikes increasing; Gaza City offensive expected soon
- MSF Warning: Patients flooding clinics, civilians trapped in danger zones
- Hostages at Risk: Families fear assault will doom remaining captives
- Diplomatic Deadlock: Ceasefire talks await Israel’s decision on next steps
- Israeli Protests: Citizens demand deal as divisions grow over far-right leadership
Deep Look: Gaza City Becomes Epicenter of Famine and Military Strikes
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — The humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensified Saturday as hospitals reported at least 33 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes and gunfire, many of them women and children. The surge in casualties came as Gaza City, the territory’s largest urban center, struggles under a famine declaration and looming warnings of a full Israeli military assault.
Displaced Families Struck in Tents
Medical staff at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza confirmed 14 deaths from strikes on Khan Younis, more than half of them women and children. Victims had been sheltering in tents after months of displacement.
“Awad, why did you leave me?” cried a young boy beside his brother’s wrapped body. Another mourner, Hekmat Foujo, pleaded for respite: “We want to rest. Have some mercy on us.”
Elsewhere, Israeli gunfire killed at least five Palestinians near the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza, where aid trucks enter under U.N. supervision. Witnesses said people were trying to access scarce food deliveries when the shooting began. Six more deaths were recorded in separate incidents, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
The Israeli military said it was not aware of a strike in Khan Younis and was investigating the other reported incidents.
Food, Fear, and Chaos at Aid Points
Crowds continue to risk gunfire, stampedes, and exhaustion in their struggle to obtain food. Mohamed Saada described returning empty-handed from Zikim after hours of waiting. “I came here to bring food for my children but couldn’t get anything,” he said, citing shootings and trucks running over desperate people.
Some families carried sacks of lentils and flour, while others carried the wounded on makeshift stretchers. In sweltering heat above 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius), they waded through rubble and sewage.
A report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed Gaza City is in famine, with nearly half a million people facing “catastrophic hunger.” Aid groups blame Israeli restrictions on humanitarian supplies, compounded by ongoing fighting. Israel calls the famine designation “a lie,” maintaining that sufficient aid has entered the territory.
A Fragile Flow of Aid
Earlier this year, Israel imposed a two-and-a-half-month blockade. Access resumed with a U.S.-backed initiative involving the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but aid deliveries remain sporadic and chaotic. Despite airdrops and limited land convoys, the United Nations says supplies are inadequate.
Associated Press reporters have documented frequent clashes and Israeli warning fire at aid routes. Israeli officials argue such measures are necessary to prevent threats from crowds approaching soldiers.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office insists Hamas bears responsibility for shortages, accusing the group of withholding food and starving hostages.
Airstrikes Intensify Ahead of Gaza City Assault
Doctors Without Borders reported a sharp increase in airstrikes around Gaza City since early August. Caroline Willemen, the group’s project coordinator, described patients flooding clinics.
“Those who have not moved are wondering what they should do,” she said. “People know it will become very dangerous to remain.”
Israeli officials say ground forces are already operating near Gaza City’s outskirts and in the Zeitoun neighborhood, which they describe as a Hamas stronghold.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned Gaza City “could be destroyed” in coming days.
Hostages in the Balance
The anticipated offensive heightens fears for the 20 surviving Israeli hostages still believed to be held since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack. Thirty more are presumed dead. Families of the captives staged mass protests last week demanding a deal to secure their release.
Netanyahu has signaled willingness to resume talks “on Israel’s terms.” Mediators from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar await Israel’s decision after Hamas said it accepted a new proposal. Hamas has tied hostage releases to ending the war and insists on a path toward Palestinian statehood, rejecting demands to disarm.
U.S. President Donald Trump voiced frustration with Hamas’ position, suggesting a rapid military strike could even improve hostage safety.
“I actually think they’re safer if you really went in fast,” Trump said Friday.
Humanitarian Toll Rising
The Gaza Health Ministry reported Saturday that 62,622 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with newly confirmed deaths added through a judicial review committee. Malnutrition-related deaths rose to 281, underscoring the famine’s deadly impact.
Israeli Political Fractures
Inside Israel, anger is rising. In Kfar Malal, north of Tel Aviv, protesters confronted far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir during a synagogue visit, chanting for hostage releases.
“We don’t want him in our village. Our message is to bring back the hostages,” said Boaz Levinstein, one demonstrator.
Ben-Gvir, a key Netanyahu coalition partner, has opposed any hostage deal with Hamas, deepening tensions with families who believe negotiations are the only path to saving their loved ones.
Global and Regional Pressure Builds
International aid groups warn that Gaza’s famine could spread across the territory if military escalation continues. Diplomats caution that a major assault on Gaza City risks humanitarian disaster and the collapse of fragile ceasefire talks.
For Gaza’s civilians, trapped between hunger and bombardment, choices grow fewer by the day.
“People want to stay,” said Willemen of MSF. “But displacement has happened again and again. They know that soon it may no longer be possible to survive.”
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