Ministry of Health Says 20 People Killed and 150 Injured Due to Israeli Attack on Food Aid Queue

Israeli military in Gaza. (Wikimedia Commons/IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

JAKARTA - The number of deaths in Gaza continues to increase, as Israeli military attacks hit Palestinians queuing to get food aid.

Israeli attacks on Gaza City killed 20 Palestinians and injured 150 people who were queuing for food aid on Thursday, said the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, reported by Reuters, January 26.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said the death toll "is likely to increase because hospitals do not have the means to treat them," as quoted by CNN.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Civil Defense said the victims suffered "extraordinary" injuries after attacks on civilians waiting for help near Gaza City on Thursday.

"There are hundreds of people injured. The nature of the injuries is unbelievable. Some people lost their limbs," said Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal from Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Basal added that civil defense crews were still trying to reach the injured but were "blocked" by Israeli forces.

On the other hand, the Israeli military said it was investigating the report.

It is known that around 25,900 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli attacks on Gaza, Palestinian health officials said.

Israel itself launched an attack, and was followed by a ground operation in Gaza, after the Hamas militant group attacked their southern territory on October 7, leaving 1,200 people dead and taking around 240 people hostage, according to Israeli data.

The Israeli military says it has killed more than 9,000 Gaza militants and lost 220 soldiers in the 3.5-month war.