Gaza Strip – July 21, 2025
The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has deepened significantly, with reports indicating at least 73 to 85 Palestinians were killed yesterday while attempting to access desperately needed humanitarian aid. This marks one of the deadliest days for aid-seekers since the conflict began 21 months ago, as Israel simultaneously widens its military offensive and orders new evacuations in central Gaza, even as ceasefire negotiations remain stalled.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the fatalities among aid-seekers occurred at various locations across the territory. While specific details of each incident are still emerging, witnesses and health workers have consistently reported hundreds of people killed by Israeli fire while trying to reach food distribution sites.
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has previously stated that as of July 13, 875 people had been killed while seeking food, with the majority of those deaths occurring near sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.- and Israeli-backed private organization.
The latest wave of deaths underscores the severe hunger crisis gripping Gaza. Hospitals across the enclave are struggling to cope, with ambulances sounding alarms to highlight the dire situation, and the Health Ministry reporting children dying of malnutrition. The UN’s World Food Programme warns that thousands in Gaza are on the verge of “catastrophic hunger.”
Compounding the humanitarian catastrophe, the Israeli military has issued new evacuation orders for areas of central Gaza, including parts of Deir al-Balah. This marks an expansion of the military’s ground operations into regions where it has previously had a limited presence. These new orders effectively cut off access between Deir al-Balah and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, severely hampering the movement of aid groups and civilians. The military has urged residents, including those sheltering in tents, to move to the Muwasi area, a desolate tent camp on Gaza’s southern coast designated as a humanitarian zone, despite reports of it also coming under attack previously.
The widening offensive comes as crucial ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in Qatar have made no significant breakthroughs. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that expanding military operations is a tactic to pressure Hamas in negotiations, a stance that has been met with condemnation from international mediators and the Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organization representing families of Israeli hostages. The previous truce expired in early May, plunging the conflict into an even deeper crisis.
Israel’s military operation, codenamed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” approved in early May 2025, aims to defeat Hamas and destroy its capabilities. As of early July, the Israeli military reported controlling approximately 65% of the Gaza Strip. However, the cost in civilian lives and humanitarian suffering continues to escalate dramatically. The Gaza Health Ministry states that over 58,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with women and children constituting more than half of the casualties.
The international community continues to express grave concern over the situation, with calls for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access to the besieged strip. As the military offensive intensifies and aid remains critically constrained, the outlook for Gaza’s already suffering population appears increasingly bleak.
