Israeli Attacks in Gaza Kill 23, Malnutrition Deaths Rise

Gaza City, August 14, 2025 – At least 23 Palestinians, including 10 aid seekers, were killed in Israeli military operations across Gaza on Thursday, according to Palestinian health authorities. The attacks, which also left several wounded, come amid a deepening starvation crisis, with four additional deaths reported due to malnutrition.

In southern Gaza near Rafah, hospital sources reported that Israeli forces killed 12 people, including 10 seeking humanitarian aid. Another attack near an aid distribution site claimed one life and injured others. In Gaza City, eight people died in an airstrike on a residential home, while two others were killed in the Tuffah neighborhood, medical sources confirmed.

The escalation follows Israel’s security cabinet approving a military plan to seize Gaza City, a move that could displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to southern “concentration zones.” The United Nations and some Israeli military officials have condemned the plan, warning of its humanitarian impact. Al Jazeera reporters described northern Gaza as “lifeless wastelands” due to the intensified operations. Palestinians in Gaza City expressed fears of further displacement. Walaa Sobh, a widow displaced from Beit Lahiya, told Al Jazeera, “We have nowhere to go, no income. If they force us out, where are the tents for widows, children, and the sick?” Umm Sajed Hamdan, a mother of five, vowed to remain, stating, “I’d rather face death here than go to al-Mawasi.” Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara called the plan a “terrible escalation,” warning that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aims to reoccupy Gaza. Meanwhile, Mossad chief David Barnea visited Qatar to revive ceasefire talks, following positive signals from Hamas during discussions in Cairo. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel outlined Israel’s conditions for ending the war, including the release of captives, Hamas’s disarmament, Gaza’s demilitarization, and Israel retaining security control. Aid agencies accused Israel of obstructing humanitarian deliveries, with over 100 groups reporting that relief supplies are stranded in warehouses in Jordan and Egypt. Natasha Davies of Doctors Without Borders described the situation as a “humanitarian catastrophe,” noting that limited aid trickling into Gaza is insufficient for trauma hospitals overwhelmed by casualties. Since May 27, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 1,881 aid seekers killed and 13,863 injured in incidents linked to Israel’s new aid distribution system. Hunger-related deaths have reached 239, including 106 children.

Israel’s ongoing offensive, launched after the October 7, 2023, attacks that killed 1,139 people and took over 200 captives, has resulted in at least 61,776 Palestinian deaths and 154,906 injuries, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.