UN says 17 killed seeking food in Gaza as ceasefire talks stall

On July 12, at least 17 Palestinians were killed near an aid distribution point in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, in what witnesses and medics described as yet another deadly shooting involving Israeli troops and starving civilians.

According to medics, the victims had gathered in hopes of receiving food when Israeli forces opened fire, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Witnesses described harrowing scenes, telling Reuters that Israeli forces opened fire on crowds desperate for assistance. Victims were reportedly shot in the head and torso, and several bodies were later seen wrapped in white shrouds at Nasser Hospital, surrounded by grieving family members.

While the Israeli military claimed its forces had only fired warning shots and said an internal review found no evidence of injuries caused by their gunfire, eyewitness accounts sharply contradicted this version.

The July 12 shooting is one of a series of incidents targeting Palestinians queuing for food amid a collapsed aid system.  

The U.N. and aid agencies have repeatedly warned of famine conditions across the enclave, where Israel’s military campaign has devastated infrastructure and pushed over 2 million people into acute deprivation. Many families now rely on sporadic and unsafe food convoys coordinated under U.S. pressure and often guarded by Israeli forces—operations that have, instead of offering relief, too often turned into bloodbaths.

Meanwhile, indirect ceasefire talks hosted in Doha between Israel and Hamas, mediated by the U.S., have stalled over disagreements about Israeli troop withdrawals. According to Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations, Hamas has rejected Israeli proposals to retain control over 40% of Gaza, including all of Rafah and areas in the north and east.

The proposed U.S. plan involves a 60-day ceasefire, the phased release of hostages, and further discussions about ending the war, which erupted on October 7, 2023, after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251. Israeli military operations since then have killed over 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

By Khagan Isayev