Casualties escalate in Gaza, with 61 fatalities reported, and 217 famine-related deaths confirmed; Israeli attacks focus on individuals seeking humanitarian assistance
In the heart of August 2025, the Gaza Strip finds itself entangled in a harrowing humanitarian crisis, with civilians bearing the brunt of ongoing Israeli military actions. The latest report, penned by Dr. Mansour Al-Maswari, a Yemeni academician and Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University-Global Center, Amman, sheds light on the escalating situation.
Dr. Al-Maswari's article, published by Al Bawaba, a news organization based in the Gaza Strip, provides updates on the ongoing hostilities. The article is categorized under the "Latest" and "Popular" sections, reflecting the urgency and relevance of the topic.
The report reveals that between August 7 and 9, several deadly incidents occurred near humanitarian sites and shelters. On August 7, five Palestinians were killed near a food distribution point in northern Rafah, and six more, including children in an internally displaced persons (IDP) tent, were killed in Ash Sheikh Radwan on the same day. The following day, nine Palestinians died when a residential IDP shelter was hit in Bani Suheila.
Furthermore, air-dropped aid explosions resulted in injuries and the death of a 14-year-old boy on August 9. These incidents underscore the precariousness of the situation, with civilians and aid recipients becoming casualties in the crossfire.
Since the ceasefire violation on March 18, 2025, over 10,400 Palestinians have been killed and 43,845 wounded in Gaza. In the 24 hours before August 17 alone, 47 were killed and 226 wounded. The long-term death toll in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has surpassed 61,900, with many more injured.
The World Health Organization and UN agencies have been managing medical evacuations, but over 14,800 patients still require lifesaving care unavailable locally. UNRWA installations, including schools and health centers, have been damaged by Israeli airstrikes, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
The UN and international organizations have repeatedly condemned attacks on civilians and aid convoys. The UN human rights office reported nearly 1,400 Palestinians killed while seeking food since late May 2025, emphasizing these victims were not engaged in hostilities but struggling to survive. UN bodies have called for urgent cessation of hostilities near humanitarian sites and for unimpeded aid access.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has urged the immediate opening of all crossings to allow safe humanitarian access. The group has also criticized the practice of dropping aid from aircraft. Save the Children has warned that the siege in Gaza is "starving Gaza's children to death."
As the situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate, the international community must take swift and decisive action to protect civilians and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access. The ongoing conflict has already claimed too many lives, and the time for action is now.
[1] Al Bawaba, (2025). Escalating Violence in Gaza Strip: A Humanitarian Crisis Unfolds. Retrieved from https://www.albawaba.com/news [2] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), (2025). Gaza: Humanitarian Update. Retrieved from https://ochaopt.org/content/gaza-humanitarian-update [3] Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), (2025). Report on the Situation of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/documents/countries/ps/ocpopt_sitrep_202508.pdf [4] United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (2025). Gaza Crisis: Factsheet. Retrieved from https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/factsheets/gaza-crisis-factsheet [5] World Health Organization (WHO), (2025). Gaza Health Cluster: Weekly Report. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/gaza/situation-reports/2025/gaza-health-cluster-weekly-report-2025-08-10.pdf
- Coverage of the escalating crisis in the Gaza Strip, including recent deadly incidents near humanitarian sites and shelters, is found in the "Latest" and "Popular" sections of Al Bawaba, a news organization based in the region.
- In the same period, the World Health Organization and UN agencies have been managing medical evacuations for over 14,800 patients who require lifesaving care unavailable locally.
- The UN human rights office reported nearly 1,400 Palestinians killed while seeking food since late May 2025, emphasizing these victims were civilians not engaged in hostilities but struggling to survive.
- Air-dropped aid explosions resulted in injuries and the death of a 14-year-old boy on August 9, underscoring the precariousness of the situation with civilians and aid recipients becoming casualties in the crossfire.
- The UN and international organizations have repeatedly condemned attacks on civilians and aid convoys, with the UN human rights office urging an urgent cessation of hostilities near humanitarian sites and for unimpeded aid access.
- As the situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate, general news sources, such as the World Health Organization and UN agencies, provide regular updates on the ongoing crisis, including weekly health reports and factsheets from organizations like UNRWA.
