At Least 82 Killed in Latest Israeli Attacks as EU and Israel Reach Aid Agreement for War-Stricken Gaza
Gaza – Israeli airstrikes killed at least 82 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday, intensifying the humanitarian crisis as ceasefire negotiations continue and international criticism mounts over forced displacement plans.
Among the dead were 15 civilians — including nine children and four women — who were waiting in line for child nutrition aid in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza. The attack also wounded at least 30 others, including 19 children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, condemned the strike as “unconscionable,” highlighting the devastating toll on families attempting to access basic aid. “This is the cruel reality confronting many in Gaza today after months of insufficient aid being allowed into the territory and parties to the conflict failing to uphold basic responsibilities to protect civilians,” she said.
Russell warned that unless life-saving humanitarian assistance resumes at full scale, more children would face starvation and the threat of famine would worsen. She called on Israel to ensure “full compliance with international humanitarian law” and to investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, Hamas denounced the strike, describing it as part of Israel’s “ongoing campaign of genocide” in Gaza. In a statement, the group accused Israel of “systematic ethnic cleansing” through indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure including schools, displacement camps, and streets.
The surge in violence coincides with a new European Union deal with Israel aimed at easing aid access to Gaza. The agreement seeks to facilitate the entry of desperately needed food and fuel into the besieged enclave, where over two million residents face worsening shortages.
Since the war began following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks that killed 1,139 people in Israel, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that at least 57,762 Palestinians have been killed, with 137,656 others wounded.