Displaced Palestinians gather for food in Rafah, on the southern Gaza Strip on February 28, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Doha, Qatar: Two children died due to dehydration and malnutrition in a Gaza hospital, as the death toll due to the almost five-month Israeli onslaught exceeded 30,000.
Aid agencies have sounded the alarm of a looming famine in Gaza's north.
Citing the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, USAID head Samantha Power said Israel needed to open more crossings so that "vitally needed humanitarian assistance can be dramatically surged".
"This is a matter of life and death," Power said in a video posted on social media platform X.
Watch this page for more live updates:
[9pm Doha Time] Qatar condemns in the strongest terms the heinous massacre committed by the Israeli occupation against unarmed civilians who were waiting for humanitarian aid to arrive in Gaza, which led to the fall of dozens of martyrs and wounded. Read more.
[8: 55pm Doha Time] Security Council to meet on Gaza aid shooting
The UN’s top body will meet today at 21:15 GMT to discuss the 112 people killed and 760 wounded in an Israeli attack in north Gaza. This meeting will be held at the request of Algeria and will be a closed session, reports Al Jazeera.
[8pm Doha Time] More than 30,000 have been killed in Gaza—that's 1 out every 75 people in the Gaza Strip. Latest report from the Gaza Health Ministry said that more than 100 Palestinians were killed and about 750 wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on hundreds waiting for food aid and trying to get flour for their families.
People mourn following an early morning incident when residents rushed toward aid trucks in Gaza City on February 29, 2024. Gaza Health Ministry said Israeli forces shot dead dozens of people when a crowd rushed towards aid trucks. (Photo by AFP)
[9:45am Doha Time] 'We went to get flour. The Israeli army shot us’
Al Jazeera has verified footage shared online that shows the aftermath of an Israeli attack on Palestinians west of Gaza City.
The footage shows bodies of dozens of killed and wounded Palestinians being carried onto trucks as no ambulances could reach the area. They had congregated at al-Rashid Street, where aid trucks carrying flour were believed to be on the way.
“We went to get flour. The Israeli army shot us,” one witness said.
“There are many martyrs on the ground and we are still recovering them until this moment. There is no first aid.”
[9:15am Doha Time] Dozens of Palestinians killed while waiting for food aid near Gaza City
Dozens of Palestinians waiting for food aid southwest of Gaza City have been killed or wounded after the group was shot at a main roundabout, according to Al Jazeera correspondent on the ground.
Bodies were seen on the ground after the attack with rescuers unable to reach them due to the danger of further Israeli strikes, added the correspondent.
For days, residents of northern Gaza have been desperately searching for food, with many taking a long trek towards the south by foot, amid growing reports of malnutrition and starvation.
A member of the press consoles a woman outside Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza on February 28, 2024, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by AFP)
[8:30am Doha Time] Health ministry in Gaza says war death toll 'exceeds 30,000'
Gaza's health ministry said Thursday that the number of people killed in the Palestinian territory during the war between militants and Israel has surpassed 30,000.
"The number of martyrs exceeds 30,000," a ministry statement said. It added that the toll includes at least 79 deaths reported overnight.
[8am Doha Time] Canada announces plan to airdrop aid to Gaza Strip
Canada is working to airdrop humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip as soon as possible, a cabinet minister said Wednesday.
The confirmation that an active effort is underway comes after Canadian International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said Ottawa was exploring new options to deliver aid.
He said the provision of airdrops in partnership with like-minded countries in the region, such as Jordan, was on the table.
Hussen said last week that the provision of aid is nowhere near what’s needed and a tedious inspection process was slowing down the movement of supplies brought in by truck.
[7:30am Doha Time] Atleast a quarter of Gaza population one step away from famine: OCHA
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA reported that Israeli military operations and restrictions have severely impacted food production in Gaza and there is an immediate need for concerted action.
At least a quarter of the population in #Gaza is one step away from famine.
— UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) February 28, 2024
Military operations and restrictions have severely impacted food production.
"A response at the level required will be impossible without immediate and concerted action," urges @rajasingham_UN. ⬇️
