Palestinian children scrape a pot for leftover food after all meals were distributed at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Friday, May 9, 2025. Photo: AP/Abdel Kareem Hana.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports 23 more Palestinians killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 52,810 since October 7, 2023.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported on Saturday that 23 Palestinians were killed and 124 others wounded over the past 24 hours due to continued Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The report noted that many victims remain trapped under rubble and in the streets, with emergency and civil defense teams unable to reach them due to the aggressive bombardment.
Since the beginning of the Israeli assault on October 7, 2023, the total death toll has risen to 52,810, with 119,473 injuries recorded.
According to updated figures, the death toll since March 18, 2025, alone stands at 2,701 martyrs and 7,432 injuries.
Delays in aid have consequences, says UN
On Friday, the United Nations issued its strongest warning yet regarding the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling the lifting of the Israeli blockade an urgent necessity. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that “aid must reach everyone, wherever they are, based on their needs,” adding that the situation on the ground has become untenable after nearly 10 weeks of severe aid restrictions.
“The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says lifting the Gaza blockade is more urgent than ever,” Dujarric said. “The humanitarian crisis has worsened significantly after nearly 10 weeks of aid being cut off.”
He further warned that “any additional delay in the entry of aid into Gaza will have consequences that cannot be reversed.” Dujarric reiterated UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s stance that “the organization will not participate in any arrangement that does not respect humanitarian principles.”
According to the World Food Programme, food stocks have run out, and community kitchens have ceased operating due to a lack of supplies. UNRWA reports confirm that residents are surviving on little more than animal feed and contaminated water in many areas.
Meanwhile, the US has proposed a controversial aid delivery plan involving the establishment of “secure distribution sites” in southern Gaza, operated by private contractors and coordinated with “Israel,” which the UN and international organizations have blasted as a plan that would exacerbate the suffering in Gaza.
