People Are Dying Just Trying to Get Food: Desperation Grows in Gaza Amid Continued Israeli Bombardment

Gaza City – July 7, 2025 — The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deepened drastically as Israel’s unrelenting bombardment continues, with at least nine people killed in strikes on a UN-run school and a residential building in Gaza City, while others were gunned down near an aid distribution site in Rafah.

According to Al Jazeera, the al-Shafi school, where hundreds of displaced Palestinians were sheltering, was hit at around 2:15am.

“We heard the sound of something devastating explode in the hall,” said survivor Zahwa Salmi.
“People were shouting: ‘There is no god but Allah! Help us, someone!’ But then we no longer heard any sound from them.”

In southern Rafah, nine Palestinians, including three children, were reportedly shot dead near a Global Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution point.

Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said witnesses described the horrific scene where people were too afraid to retrieve the bodies, fearing they might be shot too.

“The number of Palestinians killed while trying to get food has now crossed 700,” Mahmoud reported. “This is happening in a place where enforced dehydration and starvation is widespread.”

He criticized the GHF operations as “performative” and lacking genuine humanitarian structure or safety protocols.

Global Aid Official: ‘Hardest Situation I’ve Ever Seen’

The World Food Programme’s Deputy Executive Director, Charles Skau, who just completed his fourth visit to Gaza since the war began, called the level of human suffering “indescribable.”

“It’s hard to find words to describe the level of desperation I have witnessed,” Skau said. “People are dying just trying to get food.”

He urged an immediate ceasefire, citing the success of past humanitarian operations during earlier truces:

“During the previous ceasefire, we delivered over 8,000 trucks of food in just 42 days. We can do it again—if the violence stops and all entry points are opened.”

Mounting Death Toll and Humanitarian Collapse

The continued blockade and bombardment have pushed Gaza deeper into catastrophe, with widespread hunger, lack of medical care, and the destruction of critical infrastructure.

International outcry has been growing, with human rights groups and aid agencies warning of a full-scale famine if urgent action isn’t taken.

Despite global appeals, no new ceasefire agreement has been reached, and military operations continue in densely populated areas.

As conditions deteriorate, humanitarian officials warn that Gaza is on the brink of collapse, and time is running out to save millions of lives.