Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 33 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to local hospitals, as an extraordinary famine declaration for Gaza City intensified global pressure on Israel’s 22-month offensive. The fatalities included people sheltering in tents and others seeking scarce food aid, hospital officials said.
A day of lethal strikes amid deepening hunger
Morgue records and health officials at Nasser Hospital in the south reported at least 17 people killed when strikes hit a cluster of tents for displaced families in Khan Younis—more than half of them women and children. In the north, medical staff at the Sheikh Radwan field hospital said Israeli gunfire killed at least five people near the Zikim crossing, where UN and aid convoys enter Gaza; additional attacks elsewhere killed at least six more. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to questions about the incidents.
Relatives at the Khan Younis site described a relentless bombardment. “The entire Gaza Strip is being bombed… In the south. In the north. Everywhere,” said Awad Abu Agala, who lost two young family members. Another mourner, Hekmat Foujo, pleaded for a truce: “We want to rest… have some mercy on us.” (Accounts as reported by AP.)
Famine confirmed in Gaza City
On Friday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)—the world’s leading authority on famine determinations—said famine is occurring in Gaza City and could spread if hostilities and aid restrictions persist. It was the first time the IPC has confirmed a famine in Gaza and warned that neighboring areas could follow without an urgent scale-up of assistance and a cessation of fighting.
Humanitarian doctors describe skeletal patients and widespread acute malnutrition, particularly among children and the wounded. Gaza’s Health Ministry says malnutrition-related deaths have reached 281 during the war; overall, at least 62,622 people have been killed since October 2023, including those recently confirmed dead by a ministry committee. (Figures reported by AP and Gaza health authorities.)
Israel has rejected the famine determination as false and says it has allowed sufficient aid to enter, blaming Hamas for diverting supplies. UN agencies and medical NGOs counter that deliveries remain far below need and are hampered by insecurity on the roads and access constraints.
Aid pipeline and controversy over a new delivery channel
Following months of warnings and images of emaciated children, Israel and partners expanded airdrops and opened additional land crossings. A new, U.S.- and Israel-backed private aid mechanism—the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—has also begun operating with tens of millions in U.S. funding, drawing scrutiny from humanitarian groups and lawmakers over its governance and the safety of distribution points.
Military moves around Gaza City
Israeli ground forces are operating on the outskirts of Gaza City—including the Zeitoun area—and a broader assault could begin within days, officials have signaled. Doctors Without Borders said clinics in and around the city are seeing surging patient loads as fresh bombardments uproot residents yet again. Israel says Gaza City remains a Hamas stronghold with a dense tunnel network; the city also still shelters hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced from elsewhere.
Ceasefire talks in limbo, hostages at the center
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week he instructed officials to begin immediate negotiations to free remaining hostages and end the war on Israel’s terms. Mediators in the United States, Egypt, and Qatar are awaiting Israel’s next move after Hamas said it accepted an Arab-brokered proposal that would exchange captives for an end to the war, terms Israel has long rejected without Hamas’s disarmament. Many Israelis fear a major Gaza City assault could endanger the roughly 20 hostages believed to be alive. (Positions summarized from AP reporting.)
U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Hamas and suggested a rapid operation might in some ways make hostages “safer,” comments likely to reverberate as Washington balances support for Israel with growing concern over civilian suffering and the famine designation. (Remarks as reported by AP.)
Dissent within Israel
In Kfar Malal, north of Tel Aviv, a small group of Israelis confronted National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir as he walked to synagogue, telling reporters their message was to “bring back the hostages.” Ben-Gvir, a key figure in Netanyahu’s coalition, staunchly opposes a deal with Hamas; hostage families argue that a negotiated exchange is the only viable path.
What readers are asking
What happened today?
Local hospitals say at least 33 people were killed in Israeli attacks and shootings across Gaza, including a strike on tents in Khan Younis and gunfire near the Zikim aid entry point. Israel has not commented on the specific incidents.
Is Gaza City officially in famine?
Yes. The UN-backed IPC says famine is occurring in Gaza City and could spread without a ceasefire and a dramatic scale-up of aid access and delivery. Israel disputes this finding. Why
Does the famine designation matter?
An IPC famine declaration is rare and typically triggers urgent international pressure for a pause in fighting, humanitarian corridors, and accountability measures if starvation is used as a method of warfare.
What is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)?
A private, U.S.- and Israel-backed channel created to deliver aid in Gaza, now receiving U.S. funding. Supporters say it can move goods faster; critics question its transparency and safety record at distribution hubs.
What’s next militarily?
Israel is positioning for a broader push into Gaza City within days, even as aid groups warn an assault amid famine could be catastrophic for civilians. Ceasefire diplomacy is paused pending Israel’s response to mediators.
By the numbers (since Oct. 7, 2023)
- Deaths in Gaza: at least 62,622, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry (figure cited by AP).
- Malnutrition-related deaths: 281, per Gaza’s Health Ministry and medical NGOs.
The bottom line
Saturday’s casualties unfolded as the first-ever famine confirmation for Gaza reshaped the political and moral calculus of the war. Israel is signaling a new offensive phase around Gaza City; aid agencies say that, without an immediate ceasefire and reliable, large-scale access, famine will spread. The fate of the remaining hostages—and whether there is a deal to free them—now looms over both the battlefield and the diplomatic track.
