UN Reports Rising Casualties in Gaza Amid Rising Violence and Attack on Aid Distribution Sites

Hostilities across the Gaza Strip continue to result in large numbers of civilian casualties, with reports indicating that many losses are occurring when people gather at food aid distribution points set up near militarized areas. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Monday that the humanitarian crisis is deepening rapidly, as scores of residents have reportedly been killed or injured while seeking basic supplies in areas such as Rafah and Deir al-Balah.

“It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food,” emphasized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He expressed deep alarm over mounting reports of fatalities and injuries among Palestinians trying to access urgently needed assistance, particularly following an incident on Sunday in southern Gaza that left at least 31 people dead and many more seriously injured near a humanitarian aid distribution point in Rafah. While Gaza health authorities said Israeli forces were responsible for opening fire, Israeli officials denied involvement in the attack.

Calling for immediate and independent investigations and accountability for those responsible, Guterres pressed for the restoration of unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Gaza. He reiterated that Israel bears obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate the delivery of aid and to protect humanitarian operations, stressing the urgent need for safety, security, and respect for humanitarian principles on the ground.

The violence and continued blockade have further endangered vital infrastructure, including medical facilities. In northern Gaza, the Noura Al Kaabi Center for Dialysis was reportedly struck, aggravating a health crisis that has already resulted in the deaths of over 40 percent of dialysis patients since the escalation began in October 2023. Many health centers either remain inaccessible or have sustained heavy damage due to the ongoing conflict.

As hostilities force constant displacement, Israeli authorities issued a new evacuation order on Saturday affecting approximately 100,000 people across Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah. The OCHA highlighted that two primary healthcare centers and five medical points are now located within the latest displacement zone, with additional hospitals, field hospitals, and clinics situated nearby, all at risk should fighting intensify further.

Since the renewal of intense fighting in mid-March, over 640,000 people—nearly a third of Gaza’s population—have been displaced once again, according to UN estimates. The resulting disruption has devastated education, with at least 8,000 students losing access to schools and learning spaces, representing what the agency called “a severe setback” for children’s right to education and a safe environment.

Despite critical shortages and restricted humanitarian access, aid agencies are making concerted efforts to detect and treat malnutrition. Last week, around 40,000 children received nutritional supplements, but aid workers continue to face severe obstacles as supplies dwindle and distribution becomes riskier. Reports of looting have increased, driven in part by desperation. Most incidents involve civilians taking flour directly from open trucks, but humanitarian staff have also documented instances of criminal theft. Aid deliveries are currently required to be conducted using open flatbed trucks for security reasons, complicating efforts to ensure safe distribution.

The United Nations and its partners are urgently calling for all restrictions on the flow of aid and essentials to be lifted completely to prevent further suffering and deprivation. Water shortages remain acute, with critical infrastructure still out of service and attempts to repair pipelines hampered by ongoing hostilities and denial of access for humanitarian missions. On Monday alone, five planned water distributions in Jabaliya displacement camps were blocked by authorities.

Over the weekend, supplies including food and medicine arrived via the reopened Kerem Shalom crossing, but access is tightly regulated. More than 300 truckloads of goods have been collected from the Gaza side since reopening, yet aid groups warn these deliveries represent only a fraction of what is urgently needed. Additional collection missions are frequently delayed, denied, or forced to navigate routes threatened by airstrikes.

Compounding the crisis, Israel’s only operational border crossing into Gaza was closed for the weekend due to a national holiday, halting all deliveries since Saturday. Even when open, the crossing remains subject to severe restrictions on the volume and types of goods allowed through, making the current influx of supplies—by all accounts—a mere trickle compared to the scale of humanitarian needs.

As deprivation, hunger, and civil disruption worsen, the international community faces renewed pressure to ensure safe, sufficient, and sustained relief reaches Gaza’s most vulnerable residents in the days and weeks ahead.