Israel kills over 90 in Gaza in last 24 hours as army halts aid again

Israeli forces have killed more than 90 Palestinians in Gaza over the past 24 hours, according to medical sources on the ground, as the World Food Programme (WFP) warns of severe food shortages in the besieged enclave.

At least 20 Palestinians were killed on Thursday morning alone, including nine in an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced families, and three others who were targeted near aid distribution points.

Killings near aid sites have become an almost daily occurrence since the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operating in the territory. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed since the private firm took over aid distribution, with rights groups condemning the system as a "death trap".

Early Thursday, an Israeli drone also struck near the Jordanian field hospital west of Khan Younis, killing at least one person.

The violence comes amid renewed mediation efforts. On Wednesday, Hamas said it was "engaging positively with mediators regarding a ceasefire proposal," without providing further details.

'Less than one day’s worth of food'

The World Food Programme says it has only managed to deliver 9,000 metric tons of food to Gaza since 19 May - less than a day's supply for the entire population over a period of more than four weeks.

"WFP has been able to dispatch just 9,000 metric tons of food aid inside Gaza since 19 May, less than one day’s worth of food for everyone for over four weeks," the organisation posted on X.

UNRWA has also raised alarm over water shortages, warning of dehydration and a collapse in supply systems due to repeated Israeli bombings. The agency said only 40 percent of drinking water production facilities remain functional, describing the crisis as a "man-made drought."

Meanwhile, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the current aid entering Gaza "an absolute disgrace", adding that "what is needed is not a temporary halt to aid, but a complete stop".

Ben-Gvir claimed on X that Hamas is controlling the flow of food and supplies, which he says helps the group maintain power.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant have ordered the military to present a plan in the coming days to "prevent Hamas from accessing aid", according to Israeli media.

On Wednesday evening, Netanyahu also instructed that all aid be halted to northern Gaza. Reports in Israeli media, quoting an unnamed official, said the freeze will remain in place until a new army plan is approved.

The move followed threats from far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to quit the government, after claiming that armed gunmen were commandeering aid trucks.

The Supreme Committee for Tribal Affairs in Gaza on Thursday rejected Israeli claims that Hamas was controlling the limited humanitarian aid entering the territory.

It stressed that "all humanitarian aid is fully secured and directly overseen by the clans, and is distributed exclusively through international agencies".

The committee called on the UN Security Council to immediately send a delegation to Gaza to observe aid distribution on the ground and verify the transparency of the process.

"What has entered Gaza is a mere drop in the ocean compared to the needs of our suffering population – children, women, the elderly, the sick, and all our people," the group said.