Massacre in Deir al-Balah: ‘Israel’ kills women, children in aid queue
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In a new horrific war crime, "Israel" bombed a queue of women and children awaiting food supplements in Deir al-Balah amid an alarming starvation crisis.
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The body of Palestinian child Hala Al-Aila, killed in an Israeli strike, is prepared for burial at the morgue of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Monday, July 7, 2025 (AP)
A brutal massacre unfolded in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, after Israeli occupation forces targeted a crowd of starved Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid. According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent, the devastating airstrike killed 16 civilians, including 10 children, as desperate parents stood in line to receive nutritional supplements for their little ones.
The Israeli attack reportedly struck near the al-Bashir laundry, in the vicinity of the al-Zuwari junction, where mothers and children had gathered in hopes of securing basic sustenance. Eyewitnesses described a chilling scene: lifeless bodies strewn across the street, many of them young children, an atrocity captured in graphic footage widely circulated by local media.
Simultaneously, Israeli tanks opened fire on tents housing forcibly displaced families in the al-Maslakh area, west of Khan Younis, causing numerous injuries and widespread destruction. The families had sought shelter in the area after being displaced by earlier bombardments.
Elsewhere, heavy machine gun fire from Israeli military vehicles was reported in the al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City. In both the eastern and southern parts of the city, Israeli forces also carried out widespread demolitions, blasting residential blocks and reducing Palestinian homes to rubble.
This massacre is part of a broader pattern of daily atrocities committed by Israeli occupation forces against the people in Gaza. Despite repeated appeals from humanitarian organizations and human rights groups, the international community, particularly the United Nations, has failed to stop the ongoing genocide.
Gaza mothers starving, infant deaths reach critical levels: UN
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has issued a grave warning over the dire conditions faced by tens of thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza, as extreme hunger continues to jeopardize their health and the survival of their newborns.
In a statement shared by UNFPA’s Arab States Regional Office on X, the agency revealed that approximately 50,000 women in Gaza “haven’t eaten for days.” Malnourishment is preventing mothers from breastfeeding, while baby formula remains unavailable due to ongoing shortages. This has resulted in a spike in premature and underweight births.
“Babies are born too soon, too small,” the post read. “Newborns are at risk of death or lifelong health issues.”
Labeling the crisis as preventable, UNFPA called for immediate humanitarian access, urging: “#OpenUpGaza Let aid in.”
Gaza aid restrictions deepen humanitarian crisis
UN agencies continue to report severe restrictions on humanitarian access, compounding the suffering of women, children, and other vulnerable groups. Aid organizations have consistently appealed for unimpeded delivery of essential life-saving assistance.
Since the genocide began in October 2023, nearly 57,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli occupation forces, the majority of whom are women and children. Constant bombardment has devastated infrastructure, triggered famine-like conditions, and contributed to the spread of disease.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant over charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Separately, "Israel" is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
Child mortality in Gaza surges, MSF survey reveals
Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) released new data this week pointing to a drastic increase in child mortality across Gaza. According to a retrospective mortality survey conducted by its epidemiological unit, Epicentre, the death rate for children under five has increased tenfold since the war began.
The survey covered 2,523 individuals, including MSF staff and their families. It found that the overall death rate was five times higher than pre-war levels, while mortality among newborns under one month rose sixfold.
“The children of Gaza are being decimated,” said Amande Bazerolle, deputy manager of MSF’s emergency department. “Forty-eight percent of the people who died from blast injuries among our colleagues' households were children, and 40 percent were under 10 years old.”
According to the report, over 2% of those surveyed have died since October 7, 2023, and 7% have sustained injuries. Around 75% of deaths were war-related, mainly due to explosions.
Health system on the brink as Israeli attacks intensify
The survey also underscored the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system. Two-thirds of chronically ill patients reported interruptions in treatment. Even among MSF families, who had relatively better access to care, 20% experienced at least one injury from blasts or gunfire within their household.
“This is the result of the Israeli campaign to systematically destroy the health system and the means of survival of the whole population,” MSF stated.
The organization called on "Israel" to halt what it described as a “genocidal campaign,” lift the blockade, and enable urgent medical evacuations, particularly for children.
Read more: ‘Skin and bones’: Gaza’s infants starve under Israeli siege
