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Gaza Death Toll Rises Amid Aid Crisis as Focus Shifts to Israel-Iran Conflict
140 Palestinians killed in 24 hrs as Israeli strikes continue in Gaza. Locals fear being forgotten amid Israel-Iran war. Aid queues turn deadly; UN calls current system “a disgrace.”
ND
by News Desk
2025-06-18
Gaza Death Toll Rises Amid Aid Crisis as Focus Shifts to Israel-Iran Conflict

At least 140 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours due to Israeli strikes and gunfire, according to Gaza’s health ministry. As violence rages on, many residents fear their suffering is being overshadowed by the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.

Of the casualties reported, 40 were killed on Wednesday alone in airstrikes and shootings, with significant fatalities in the Maghazi refugee camp, Gaza City, the Zeitoun neighborhood, and Khan Younis. A further 14 civilians were gunned down while queuing for aid on Salahuddin Road—another tragic instance in a series of attacks on those seeking humanitarian relief.

Gaza’s health ministry stated that at least 397 people have been killed and over 3,000 injured while attempting to receive food aid since limited deliveries resumed in May.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was reviewing the incident involving aid seekers, reiterating that its operations aim to dismantle Hamas infrastructure while taking "feasible precautions" to avoid civilian harm.

Meanwhile, voices from inside Gaza express frustration at the global shift in focus.

“People are being slaughtered in Gaza, day and night, but attention has shifted to the Iran-Israel war,” said Adel, a resident of Gaza City.

Others, like Shaban Abed, a father of five from northern Gaza, echoed the despair:

“We are maybe happy to see Israel suffer from Iranian rockets, but one more day in this war costs the lives of tens of innocent people… We are being forgotten.”

Aid continues to trickle in through a new U.S.- and Israeli-backed entity, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but concerns about access, fairness, and safety persist. The UN’s top Palestinian refugee official, Philippe Lazzarini, called the aid distribution system “a disgrace and a stain on our collective consciousness.”

Since the conflict erupted in October 2023, following a Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages, Israel’s retaliation has resulted in nearly 55,600 Palestinian deaths, displaced the overwhelming majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, and brought the territory to the brink of famine.

Human rights groups and several governments have raised alarm over possible war crimes and acts of genocide. Israel denies these accusations, maintaining it is targeting Hamas, not civilians.

As the world’s gaze moves elsewhere, Gaza continues to endure some of the most intense suffering of the 21st century—with no end in sight.

 
Tagged:

GazaCrisis

IsraelGazaWar

HumanitarianDisaster

UNRelief
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