At least 63 Palestinians were killed on Saturday as Israeli forces intensified their military operations across Gaza, pushing tanks deeper into the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City and striking areas sheltering displaced civilians in the southern region of Khan Younis.
Footage from Gaza showed armored Israeli vehicles advancing into Sabra, near the heavily bombarded Zeitoun area. Local hospital officials confirmed that among the casualties was a young child. Medical sources also reported that artillery fire in Khan Younis hit tents housing displaced families in the Asdaa district, resulting in 16 fatalities, including six children.
An additional 22 people were reported killed while attempting to access humanitarian aid across multiple locations. Among them, two civilians were shot near aid distribution points under Israeli control, according to local health authorities.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported eight more deaths from malnutrition in the past 24 hours, including two children, bringing the total number of famine-related fatalities to 281 since the beginning of the conflict. Of those, 114 were children.
“The famine is silently ravaging the bodies of civilians, depriving children of their right to life, and turning tents and hospitals into daily scenes of tragedy,” said Dr. Munir al-Bursh, Gaza’s health director.
The United Nations officially declared a famine in Gaza on Friday—the first such designation in the region’s history—accusing Israeli authorities of systematically obstructing aid deliveries. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the famine a “man-made disaster.”
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), more than 514,000 Palestinians are already facing famine conditions, a number expected to grow to over 640,000 by September.
Since May 27, Israel has implemented its unilateral Gaza Humanitarian Framework (GHF), a U.S.-backed aid delivery mechanism. However, major humanitarian organizations and the UN have rejected the plan, arguing it falls short of international humanitarian standards.
Health authorities in Gaza claim that over 2,000 people have died and more than 15,000 have been injured while trying to access aid under the GHF system.
The ongoing conflict, which began following the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, has claimed the lives of more than 62,600 Palestinians, according to figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry.
As diplomatic efforts remain stalled and humanitarian conditions deteriorate, international agencies continue to warn of an escalating crisis that poses severe risks to civilian life and regional stability.
