From hunger to horror: Gaza’s staggering death toll mounts, aid absent
6 Min Read
With communications down and hospitals out of service, Palestinians in Gaza face escalating bombardment and deadly ambushes while seeking humanitarian aid.
-
Palestinians mourn their relatives who were killed in an Israeli military strike on Gaza, during their funeral in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, June 10, 2025 (AP)
123 Palestinians were killed and 474 others were injured in 24 hours only, Gaza’s Ministry of Health has reported, as "Israel’s" ongoing aggression continues to devastate the besieged Strip. The toll includes three martyrs retrieved from beneath the rubble, with many more victims believed to be trapped under debris or lying in the streets, unreachable due to constant shelling and the collapse of emergency response services.
This brings the total number of Palestinians martyred since October 7, 2023, to 55,104, with over 127,394 injured, amid what health officials have described as one of the gravest humanitarian disasters in modern history.
57 martyred, 363+ wounded while attempting to access humanitarian aid
Among the latest casualties are 57 Palestinians martyred and over 363 wounded while attempting to access humanitarian aid. The number of Palestinians killed while seeking food at aid distribution sites has now reached 224 martyrs, with more than 1,858 injured. The Ministry of Health has repeatedly condemned the targeting of civilians gathering near food relief zones as a war crime and a deliberate policy to weaponize hunger.
The figures also show that since March 18, 2025, a total of 4,821 people have been martyred and 15,353 have been injured, underscoring the sharp escalation in relentless bombardment in recent weeks.
Emergency response teams hindered
In a related development, Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, reported that Israeli forces targeted a group of civilians in the al-Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring more than 20 others.
According to Bassal, the victims were among residents attempting to collect humanitarian aid when they were struck. “More than 21 martyrs arrived at Al-Shifa Hospital after the targeting of citizens who were seeking aid,” he told Al Mayadeen.
Bassal also highlighted the growing difficulty faced by emergency response teams. “Rescue crews are facing serious challenges due to the lack of equipment needed to remove rubble,” he said, noting that several victims remain trapped under debris.
Israeli genocide continues unabated
More than 47 Palestinians have been martyred since the early hours of Wednesday as "Israel" intensified its air and artillery assaults across the Gaza Strip, targeting aid distribution sites, residential areas, and public infrastructure, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported. The relentless attacks come as Gaza’s health system teeters on the brink of collapse amid a suffocating blockade on life-saving medical supplies.
According to our correspondent, at least 25 Palestinians were martyred in a single Israeli strike that targeted civilians waiting for humanitarian aid near the Netzarim corridor, southwest of Gaza City. Additional strikes on the al-Saftawi area, north of Gaza City, and a home in Jabalia al-Balad left several injured.
In Rafah, nine more people were killed in attacks near aid distribution centers, as Israeli forces continued to target areas known for housing displaced civilians.
For the second consecutive day, internet and communication services remained cut off in northern Gaza and Gaza City due to direct targeting by Israeli forces. The blackout has severely hampered emergency response efforts and isolated entire communities from the outside world.
In central Gaza, two people were killed and several others wounded after a strike targeted a phone charging station near Al-Tawba Mosque in Deir al-Balah, one of the few remaining spots with limited access to electricity. In the south, artillery shelling struck the Batin al-Samin area, south of Khan Younis, with one body recovered in Aabasan al-Kabira, east of the city.
Gaza hospitals on brink of collapse amid medical blockade
As the death toll continues to mount, Gaza’s Ministry of Health has issued an urgent appeal, warning that the Strip’s healthcare system is on the brink of total collapse. The relentless Israeli blockade on life-saving medical supplies has crippled hospitals and left hundreds of wounded Palestinians without access to critical treatment.
“The health situation in northern Gaza has become catastrophic,” the Ministry stated, confirming that all hospitals in the region have been forced out of service. The few hospitals still operating are overwhelmed and running on the verge of collapse.
“Emergency measures and rapid-response efforts are becoming meaningless,” the Ministry added, as the humanitarian situation deteriorates beyond the capacity of local institutions to manage.
Despite widespread condemnation, "Israel's" bombardment continues to escalate, with no safe corridors for aid and no respite for civilians. The Ministry of Health has once again called on international organizations to take immediate action and intervene to prevent the complete collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system.
As the war on Gaza enters its 21st month, the combination of sustained military aggression and deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure reveals an ever-deepening humanitarian catastrophe.
Hunger aid turned into ambush: ‘Israeli Hunger Trap Massacre’ in Gaza
At least 36 Palestinians were killed and over 200 were injured on Tuesday as they attempted to access desperately needed humanitarian aid in Gaza. The massacre unfolded near Israeli-controlled 'aid distribution' sites, reinforcing growing accusations that "Israel" is using starvation as a weapon of war.
Starving 2.1 million people for months and then shoot at them when they are collecting food aid is terrorism.
— Mohamad Safa (@mhdksafa) June 11, 2025
This is a trick set-up that invites people to their own death. They turned Gaza into a human abattoir. pic.twitter.com/qxvEqhKCRS
Eyewitnesses described indiscriminate fire from Israeli drones and tanks, targeting unarmed Palestinians waiting for food. Survivors condemned the daily bloodshed and humiliation, calling it a slow, systematic method of collective punishment. One witness said, “Every day, people are killed just trying to get food for their children.”
Despite Israeli claims of firing only warning shots, the evidence paints a different picture: calculated brutality under the guise of aid control. Humanitarian agencies have refused to participate in the distribution system, saying it violates humanitarian law by placing aid under direct Israeli control and forcing Palestinians to pass through military zones.
As the war enters its 21st month, Gaza remains on the brink of famine. The health system has collapsed, and over 90% of the population is forcibly displaced.
This latest atrocity underscores the deadly cost of "Israel’s" blockade: hunger weaponized, aid militarized, and survival criminalized.
