Aid sites in Gaza shut

The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation did not distribute any aid yesterday as it presses Israel to boost civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its distribution sites, a day after dozens of Palestinians seeking aid were killed.

The GHF said it has asked the Israeli military to "guide foot traffic in a way that minimises confusion or escalation risks" near military perimeters; develop clearer guidance for civilians; and enhance training to support civilian safety.

"Our top priority remains ensuring the safety and dignity of civilians receiving aid," said a GHF spokesperson. An Israeli military spokesperson warned civilians against moving in areas leading to GHF sites yesterday, deeming them "combat zones".

At least 26 Palestinians have been killed in intense overnight air attacks carried out by the Israeli army across Gaza, reports Al Jazeera online.

The UN Security Council was set to vote yesterday on a demand for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and humanitarian access across Gaza, where malnutrition is widespread and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade in late May.

"It is unacceptable. Civilians are risking – and in several instances losing – their lives just trying to get food," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday, adding that the aid distribution model backed by the US and Israel was "all a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what is going on."

The International Committee of the Red Cross meanwhile said "Gazans face an "unprecedented scale and frequency of recent mass casualty incidents".

Scenes of hunger in Gaza have also sparked fresh solidarity with Palestinians, and a boat organised by an international activist coalition was sailing toward Gaza, aiming to deliver aid.

The boat from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition departed Sicily Sunday carrying a dozen people, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg, along with fruit juices, milk, tinned food and protein bars.

"Together, we can open a people's sea corridor to Gaza," the coalition said.

But Israel's military said Tuesday it was ready to "protect" the country's maritime space.

When asked about the Freedom Flotilla vessel, army spokesman Defrin said "for this case as well, we are prepared", declining to go into detail.

The health ministry in Gaza said at least 4,240 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the overall toll to 54,510, mostly civilians.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Tuesday called attacks against civilians "unconscionable" and said they "constitute a grave breach of international law and a war crime".

Experts say Gaza's entire population of some 2.1 million people is at risk of famine despite successive efforts to boost aid.