The UN Human Rights Office reported Friday that at least 1,760 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip since late May.
The office detailed that of the total, 994 people were killed near aid distribution centers and 766 were killed along the roads used by aid trucks. The report states that the majority of these killings were carried out by the Israeli military. This grim update follows an earlier report from August 1 that had recorded 1,373 deaths.
New Offensive and Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
The new data comes as the Gaza civil defense agency reported that at least 23 people were killed by Israel on Friday, with 12 of them being individuals waiting for humanitarian aid. Earlier in the week, the head of the Israeli army announced approved plans for a new offensive aimed at defeating Hamas—which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU—and freeing the remaining hostages.
This planned new offensive will target Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, some of the most densely populated areas in the region, which have already suffered massive destruction over the 22-month war. UN-backed experts have warned of a deepening famine in the territory, as Israel has significantly restricted the amount of humanitarian aid allowed to enter. The war began on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed nearly 1,200 people. Since the start of Israel’s offensive, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza, a figure the UN considers credible.
