18,592 children killed in Gaza, Palestinian death toll reaches 60,430

At least 18,592 children have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military assault, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the besieged Palestinian enclave. The total death toll in the nearly 22-month-long war has now reached 60,430, while 148,722 others have been wounded. Additionally, 169 people—93 of them children—have died from hunger-related causes.

According to Qatar-based media outlet Al Jazeera, citing the Gaza Health Ministry, 36 Palestinians were killed between dawn and evening on Saturday (July 31) in airstrikes, drone attacks, and gunfire during Israeli ground operations. Among the victims were 13 people who had gone to humanitarian aid centers run by the US-Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in search of food. Another 22 people were killed in overnight attacks starting Friday evening (August 1), including 8 more aid seekers. At least 679 people were hospitalized with injuries during this 24-hour period.

The Health Ministry also reported that in the last 24 hours, three more children, a teenager, and five adults died due to “famine and malnutrition” in Gaza. The most recent victim was 17-year-old Palestinian teen Atef Abu Khater, who died on Saturday morning.

According to Turkish news agency Anadolu, some of the children killed in Gaza were only a few hours old. The Health Ministry’s data reveals that 9 infants were killed on the day of their birth, 5 on the first day, 5 on the second day, and 8 on the third day of life. Among the child victims, 88 were one month old, 90 were two months old, and 78 were three months old.

Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, the Israeli military has been conducting relentless operations in Gaza, turning the strip into rubble and triggering a dire humanitarian crisis.

On Monday, two Israeli human rights organizations—B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel—condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide.” They accused Israel of systematically destroying Palestinian society and dismantling Gaza’s healthcare system.

Wafa News Agency reported that at least three Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli attack on the Shuja’iyya neighborhood in central Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot and killed five people waiting for aid near Wadi Gaza in central Gaza and 12 more near the Netzarim corridor.

The Civil Defense Authority in Gaza said that six people were killed near the Zikim Crossing in northern Gaza while waiting for aid trucks, which had previously entered from Israel in recent weeks. In another incident, two people were killed and 70 injured in an Israeli shooting near a southern Gaza aid distribution center operated by GHF. These GHF-run centers have seen frequent violence and disarray, with fatal incidents occurring almost daily.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, told AFP that Israeli forces also bombed a refugee camp in southern Gaza, killing five people. In Deir al-Balah, four more people died after being hit by a vehicle. Basal added that five Palestinians were also killed in central Gaza. They had been trying to return to Gaza City in the north after hearing that Israeli troops had withdrawn from the area.

UN-backed experts have confirmed that a famine is currently underway in Gaza. Since GHF took limited responsibility for food distribution on May 27, Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on crowds near aid centers.

According to the United Nations, after nearly 22 months of war, the people of Gaza are facing extreme conditions. Thousands gather daily at aid distribution centers, including four operated by GHF. At least 1,400 people have been killed by indiscriminate Israeli gunfire at or near these aid points.

Adnan Abu Hasna, spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), told Al Jazeera that an Israeli blockade on the entry of goods and humanitarian aid into Gaza has caused severe shortages of essential supplies—including medical equipment and fuel, which hospitals rely on to run generators. The blockade intensified more than two months ago, coinciding with the launch of GHF operations, which have effectively been stalled.

The Israeli military has not commented on these allegations, but GHF has denied that any major shootings occurred near their aid centers. COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry agency overseeing civilian matters in Palestinian territories, claimed that more than 200 aid trucks were collected and distributed on Thursday by the UN and other international organizations. It also said four fuel tankers entered Gaza, and 43 supply pallets were airdropped with help from the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan.

However, the UN reported that only 73 aid trucks managed to enter Gaza on Friday—far short of the 600 trucks needed daily to meet the population’s urgent needs.

The war began after a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched full-scale military operations across the Gaza Strip.

Although Israel, under pressure from the US and other mediators, announced a ceasefire on January 19, 2025, it resumed military operations on March 18. Since then, the second phase of the assault has resulted in 9,343 additional Palestinian deaths and 34,377 injuries.