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Authorities in Gaza say Israeli forces have committed a massacre in Gaza City, killing at least 104 Palestinians as they waited for food aid. Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 760 people were wounded in what Hamas called an “unprecedented war crime.” According to eyewitnesses, Israeli forces opened fire on the crowd who had gathered around humanitarian aid trucks. The death toll is expected to rise as hospitals in Gaza City are struggling to treat the wounded. Dr. Jadallah al-Shafei of Al-Shifa Hospital spoke to Al Jazeera shortly after the attack.
Dr. Jadallah al-Shafei: “Since the early hours of the morning, the hospital has been flooded with dozens of dead bodies and hundreds of injured. The majority of the victims suffered gunshot wounds and shrapnel in the head and upper parts of their bodies. They were hit by direct artillery shelling, drone missiles and gunfire. All our operation rooms are full, and all medical staff have been deployed. Above all, we ran out of medical supplies and fuel necessary to operate the hospital. We hope we will be able to provide any life-saving procedures to those victims. All victims are in critical condition. They’re lying on the floor. We stand helpless amid the sharp shortage of supplies and staff.”
This comes as Palestinian officials say the death toll in Gaza since October 7 has topped 30,000. The staggering milestone, which does not account for thousands still missing or trapped under rubble, represents one out of every 75 people in Gaza. The U.N. says over half a million people in Gaza are on the cusp of starvation. The Gaza Health Ministry reports six children recently died from dehydration and malnutrition. Seven other children are in critical condition. After headlines, we will speak to Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, who recently visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing.
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