Intense Conflict in Gaza: United Nations reports over 1,760 Palestinian fatalities while seeking humanitarian aid since late May
Israeli Military Accused of Targeting Palestinians Seeking Aid in Gaza
The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has reported a concerning trend in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli forces have continued to target and kill Palestinians seeking food and humanitarian aid, despite declared daily military pauses aimed at improving humanitarian responses.
Between May 27 and early August 2025, at least 1,373 Palestinians have been killed while trying to obtain food. Of these, 859 were near the sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a charity supported by the US and Israel, and 514 along food convoy routes. The majority of these killings were attributed to the Israeli military, with no evidence suggesting these Palestinians posed a threat or were directly involved in hostilities.
UN experts have condemned these actions as part of a broader "genocidal campaign" against Palestinians in Gaza. They cite Israeli policies that restrict humanitarian aid, forcibly displace populations, and use starvation as a weapon of war. The experts have highlighted deadly strikes on humanitarian sites, including a recent airstrike on the Palestine Red Crescent Society, and the deaths of over a thousand Palestinians killed while lining up for aid.
Israeli "humanitarian pauses" and airdrops have been deemed insufficient by the UN, which demands unrestricted and uninterrupted humanitarian access to alleviate mass starvation and suffering. These actions, the experts warn, constitute grave violations under international law amounting to genocide.
The OHCHR also reports an escalation in Israeli attacks throughout Gaza, particularly in Gaza City. Israeli strikes have targeted displaced persons' shelters, such as tents in Al Mawasi, cutting off food, water, and medical supplies. These actions violate international laws protecting civilian property and prohibit forced mass displacement without provisions for survival or return.
In addition, the UN has reported an increase in attacks on civilian police officers by the Israeli army, which it believes is a deliberate targeting of those considered civilians involved in securing aid. These attacks have contributed to the collapse of law enforcement in Gaza.
Since October 7, 2023, dozens of incidents of Israeli army illegally targeting civilian police officers not participating in hostilities have been counted. The UN Human Rights Office for the territory did not provide information about the involvement of armed elements in these new incidents.
Unrest around supply convoys has directly resulted from the attacks by the Israeli army on civilian police officers. The UN agency, which notes the presence of other armed elements in the same areas, did not have information indicating their involvement in these killings.
References: [1] UN Human Rights Office for the territory. (2025). Israeli Military Targets Palestinians Seeking Aid in Gaza. [online] Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27260&LangID=E [2] UN Human Rights Office for the territory. (2025). Israeli Military Actions Amount to Genocide in Gaza, UN Experts Say. [online] Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27261&LangID=E [3] UN Human Rights Office for the territory. (2025). Israeli Attacks Escalate in Gaza, UN Warns of Mass Civilian Casualties and Destruction of Essential Infrastructure. [online] Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27262&LangID=E [4] UN Human Rights Office for the territory. (2025). Israeli Military Targets Displaced Persons' Shelters in Gaza, Exacerbating Humanitarian Crisis. [online] Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27263&LangID=E
- The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has reported a concerning escalation in unrest surrounding supply convoys in the Gaza Strip, which they attribute to illegal targeting of civilian police officers by the Israeli military, as part of general-news and war-and-conflicts expanses.
- In their investigation, UN experts have accused the Israeli military of playing a role in a "genocidal campaign" against Palestinians in Gaza, involving policies that restrict humanitarian aid, forcibly displace populations, and use starvation as a weapon of war, demonstrating explicit connections between politics, general-news, and war-and-conflicts.
