The Israeli army again dropped bombs on Gaza this Sunday, killing dozens.
Attacks which occur on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan and in the midst of international mobilization to send humanitarian aid to the civilian population under siege and threatened with famine.
According to Hamas authorities, at least 85 Palestinians have died in the last 24 hours in more than 60 nighttime strikes which also hit homes in central and southern Gaza, especially in Khan Younes.
And at least 13 people died when shells fell on displaced people's tents in the Al-Mawasi region, between Khan Younes and Rafah.
The death toll since October 7 is 31,045 deaths on the Palestinian side, the majority of them civilians, again according to Hamas.
Also read “Our caregivers fear for their lives”: in Gaza, these mobile teams still on the ground
For its part, the Israeli army, whose soldiers operate in large areas of Palestinian territory, reported around thirty Palestinian fighters killed in the last 24 hours in central Gaza and Khan Younes.
The October 7 attack left 1,160 dead in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP count established from official sources.
Around 250 people were also kidnapped and 130 are still being held in Gaza, of whom 31 are dead according to Israel.
A maritime corridor from Cyprus
Israel has besieged the Gaza Strip since October 9 and only allows aid to enter by land in dribs and drabs from Egypt, which keeps its border closed.
According to the UN, in the Gaza Strip, 2.2 of the 2.4 million inhabitants are threatened with famine and 1.7 million have been displaced.
According to the Hamas health ministry, 25 people, most of them children, died of malnutrition and dehydration.
“I feed my daughter water, water, just so she doesn't die.
I have no choice,” says a mother in Gaza City, Barak Abhar, holding her crying baby in her arms.
In recent days, several Western and Arab countries have dropped packages of food and medical equipment on Gaza.
On Friday, the EU and the United States announced that they were preparing a maritime humanitarian corridor from Cyprus, located some 370 km from Gaza.
A first ship loaded with aid is ready to leave the island for Palestinian territory.
A temporary pier is to be built.
Solidarity at work.
pic.twitter.com/IgDsbq5rcO
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 5, 2024
An “almost inevitable widespread famine”
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, hoped for the departure of a first boat on Sunday, loaded by two NGOs with 200 tonnes of food.
Laura Lanuza, spokesperson for the Spanish NGO Open Arms, a partner in this project of the American NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK), clarified on Saturday that the Israeli authorities had inspected the cargo.
It remains to be seen how this aid would be delivered through the territory daily bombarded by Israel and plagued by fighting.
🚨 #ULTIMAHORA #EMERGENCIAGAZA
Within 3 weeks, the #OpenArms team left for Cyprus on mission together with @WCK.
If you encounter an impossible problem at this moment, it is a point of failure.
El esfuerzo desplegado to shelter a humanitarian maritime corridor in #Gaza… pic.twitter.com/9SUn8eOAX4
— Open Arms (@openarms_fund) March 8, 2024
However, the UN, which warns of an “almost inevitable widespread famine” in Gaza, affirms that airdrops and the sending of aid by sea cannot replace the land route.
On Saturday, Joe Biden once again criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is determined to continue the war to end Hamas and enter Rafah: “He is doing more harm than good to Israel.
He has the right to defend Israel, the right to continue attacking Hamas.
But he must, he must, he must pay more attention to the lost innocent lives.”