Israel fires at Palestinian aid seekers as new north Gaza expulsion orders issued

Israeli forces shot and wounded more than 20 Palestinians on Friday as they attempted to receive aid at an US-run food distribution point in central Gaza, amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the besieged strip.

The scenes were "chaotic and uncoordinated" with no effective humanitarian mechanism in place, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency.

Civilians in Gaza have been desperately seeking food supplies, as no essentials or humanitarian aid have entered the area since a complete Israeli siege began on 2 March.

According to recent statistics published by the Gaza-based Government Media Office, at least 58 people, including 53 children, have died as a direct result of malnutrition since the start of the war.

Meanwhile, a further 242 deaths were due to a lack of food and medicine, with the majority of victims being children and the elderly.

New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch

Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters

In a post on Friday, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) noted that its warehouse in Amman, a three-hour drive away from Gaza, contains enough stockpiled aid to last a month for over 200,000 people. 

The essentials include flour, food parcels, hygiene kits, blankets and medical supplies. 

"Gaza needs aid at scale - an unhindered, uninterrupted flow of supplies must be allowed in," the agency said.

In an interview with MEE Live's Mathilda Mallinson, Palestinian journalist Mohammed Shehada described the Israeli aid distribution centres in Rafah as "heavily militarised concentration camps," expressing widespread fear among Gaza residents. pic.twitter.com/FT2CZOUEBJ

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) May 27, 2025

The limited aid distributed this week has been provided by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a scandal-plagued organisation that is a US-Israeli initiative designed to bypass the UN's infrastructure for aid delivery and distribution in the strip. 

Senior humanitarian officials and aid organisations have condemned the GHF, arguing that a new mechanism is unnecessary, especially with ongoing Israeli interference with aid and continued attacks on civilians waiting at distribution points

North Gaza expulsion orders 

As Israel intensifies its assault on Gaza on the 602nd day of the war, further displacement orders have been issued.

Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, called on Palestinians residing in the areas of Al-Atatra, Jabalia Al-Balad, Shujaiya, Al-Daraj and Al-Zeitoun, located in the north of the Gaza Strip, to flee westward.

"From this moment on, the mentioned areas will be considered dangerous combat zones," the post read, adding that the military is expanding its operations in the region.

At least 28 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip on Friday morning, following the latest round of Israeli offensives. The death toll is expected to rise as operations intensify.

The International Organisation for Migration stated on Tuesday that nearly 180,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been forcibly displaced by recent Israeli military actions.

A statement issued on behalf of the Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster condemned direct attacks on shelters, stating that such incidents had become "common".

Ceasefire talks

Meanwhile, ceasefire talks have been left in limbo after the United States presented a new proposal that reportedly lacked a guarantee to end the war and ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The White House said Israel had accepted the new proposal, while Hamas confirmed it was still reviewing it. 

Though the new proposal has not been made public, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group was "surprised" by Israel's response, which he said was "practically the opposite" of what had been agreed and relayed to the American envoy via mediators earlier this week. 

"The Israeli response contains no commitment to a ceasefire, no withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and keeps Israeli control over the aid entry mechanism," he said.

"What Netanyahu is offering is a bad proposal aimed at forcing our people into submission."

Hamas official Basem Naim echoed this view, telling Reuters that Israel’s response "fundamentally seeks to entrench the occupation and perpetuate policies of killing and starvation, even during what is supposed to be a period of temporary de-escalation".

He added that the Hamas leadership was conducting a "thorough and responsible review" of the latest offer.

middleeasteye.net