The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has reported that at least 1,760 Palestinians were killed between May 27 and August 13 while attempting to access humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.

The agency condemned the attacks by Israeli forces on civilians and aid workers, calling for an immediate halt to the violence and unrestricted humanitarian access.

The deaths occurred amid a deepening humanitarian catastrophe, with malnutrition, contaminated water, and disease spreading rapidly across Gaza. According to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, 193 people—including 96 children—have died from malnutrition since the start of August alone.

Despite Israel’s announcement of daily tactical pauses to facilitate aid entry, humanitarian organizations say the measures have failed to deliver meaningful relief. Aid convoys continue to be attacked, and UNRWA has not been permitted to deliver any aid for over five months, leaving 1.9 million displaced Gazans without consistent access to food, medicine, or shelter.

UN experts have warned that starvation is being used as a weapon of war, and that the militarized aid distribution system led by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—a controversial entity backed by Israel and the U.S.—has resulted in nearly 1,400 deaths among civilians seeking food. The system has been widely criticized for its inefficiency and politicization.

The European Union, which brokered an agreement with Israel in July to increase aid flows, has expressed concern that Israel is not fully respecting the deal. According to the European External Action Service, the number of trucks entering Gaza remains below agreed levels, and significant obstructive factors continue to undermine aid operations.

UNRWA and other agencies have called for the reopening of border crossings, the restoration of UN-led aid systems, and the protection of humanitarian workers. “We need the world to act—to open the crossings, to stop the suffering, and to uphold the most basic principles of humanity,” UNRWA said in a statement.

The humanitarian crisis stems from the ongoing conflict that began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led attacks killed over 1,200 people in Israel. In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has since killed more than 61,827 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

UN officials have warned that famine thresholds have already been reached, with 320,000 children under five at risk of acute malnutrition. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and essential medicines are nearly depleted, forcing medical staff to ration supplies and turn away patients.

The UN Security Council is expected to convene an emergency session to address the crisis and discuss Israel’s recent approval of a plan to occupy Gaza City, a move that human rights experts say could lead to further displacement and suffering.

Would you like a visual timeline of aid-related casualties or a comparative analysis of humanitarian access before and after the GHF system was implemented?

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