Israeli airstrikes and gunfire killed at least 18 Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday, including eight people seeking food near aid distribution sites, health officials said, as hunger and violence deepened in the besieged enclave. The Gaza Health Ministry said three of the dead were transported from the vicinity of a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution point in central Gaza, along with 36 wounded. Witnesses described panic and chaos as crowds scrambled for aid under fire. "It's the same daily episode," said Yahia Youssef, who was collecting food when shooting erupted. Another aid seeker, Abed Salah, said there had been "no threat" to nearby troops. Ten others were killed in central and southern Gaza, including five in two separate strikes on tents sheltering displaced families in Khan Younis, and a family of five — parents and three children — in a strike between Zawaida and Deir al-Balah. Two more were killed when a tent near a closed prison in Khan Younis was hit, and five others died while waiting for aid near Rafah, according to hospital officials. The deaths came as the U.N. warned of a "worst-case scenario of famine" in Gaza, where nearly 22 months of war have left the health system in collapse and made safe food delivery almost impossible. The health ministry said 93 children and 76 adults have died from malnutrition-related causes since late June. Israel's military did not immediately comment on Saturday's strikes. Military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir vowed that "combat will continue without rest" unless hostages held in Gaza are freed. In Tel Aviv, relatives of some of the roughly 20 hostages believed still alive in Gaza staged a protest urging the government to cut a deal for their release. U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, joined them, a week after pulling out of ceasefire talks with Hamas. Families pleaded for action, with some showing recent images of emaciated loved ones. Meanwhile, international airdrops of food parcels continued, though aid officials, including UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini, said the costly, limited drops were no substitute for opening road crossings. The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel's subsequent military campaign has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which the U.N. cites as the most reliable source for casualty figures. — Agencies
