Gaza City — At least 20 Palestinians were killed in fresh Israeli military strikes across Gaza on Thursday, according to local health authorities, as the United Nations voiced strong opposition to a proposed Israeli plan to distribute limited food rations in the besieged enclave.
The airstrikes, which targeted areas in central and southern Gaza, come amid escalating operations that Israel says are aimed at eliminating Hamas militants. However, Palestinian officials say many of those killed were civilians, including children and elderly people, caught in densely populated areas.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and destruction following the raids. “We were asleep when the house next to us was hit,” said Huda Saleh, a resident of Deir al-Balah. “There were screams everywhere. We ran into the street barefoot. It felt like the end of the world.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strikes, stating that they had targeted “terror infrastructure” and Hamas hideouts. “We are taking every measure to minimize civilian casualties,” the military said in a brief statement. “Our goal remains to dismantle terrorist capabilities and restore security to Israeli citizens.”
But the violence coincided with a wave of international criticism following reports of a proposed Israeli plan to provide limited food rations to Gaza’s civilian population through tightly controlled channels. The plan has drawn condemnation from the United Nations and humanitarian groups, who say it reduces human life to survival-level management.
“This is not a humanitarian aid strategy; it is a siege,” said Martin Griffiths, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. “Controlling food like a weapon of war violates every principle of human dignity and international law.”
The UN has repeatedly warned that Gaza is facing a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 2 million residents affected by severe shortages of food, clean water, electricity, and medical supplies. Many aid convoys have struggled to enter the region due to security restrictions and damaged infrastructure.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), also criticized the plan, calling it “a blueprint for famine.” He urged the international community to demand immediate, unrestricted humanitarian access to the enclave.
Meanwhile, in Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority accused Israel of pursuing a “policy of starvation” and called on the International Criminal Court to investigate the targeting of civilians and the deliberate obstruction of aid.
As global pressure mounts, U.S. and European diplomats have called for a ceasefire, while Israel continues to insist that military operations will persist until Hamas is fully neutralized.
With the death toll rising and living conditions deteriorating, the crisis in Gaza shows no signs of easing — and the latest developments highlight the growing rift between military action and humanitarian principles in one of the world’s most protracted conflicts.