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Reports from the World Food Program indicate that a chaotic scene unfolded on Wednesday as desperate crowds stormed a United Nations warehouse in central Gaza, resulting in at least two fatalities. Preliminary data from the UN agency also suggests several injuries occurred during this turmoil. The organization emphasized the urgent need for increased food aid in Gaza, stating, "This is the only way to ensure the population doesn't succumb to starvation." Despite ongoing efforts, humanitarian aid trickles into Gaza, with much of it remaining undelivered, as highlighted by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. While around fifty trucks made it to Kerem Shalom, only a little over 200 could be offloaded.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the US and Israel, refuted claims of fatalities, injuries, or chaos at its food distribution points in Gaza over the past two days. Based in Geneva, the organization began distributing food in Gaza this week in coordination with Israel and asserted that "no deaths have been recorded at any of its facilities." The United Nations has declined to cooperate with GHF, citing a lack of neutrality, as the foundation distributes food through four militarized complexes.

According to GHF, only two Gaza residents required medical attention: one for dehydration and another for injuries inflicted by others seeking aid. They dismissed contrary reports from Hamas as inaccurate. Concurrently, Hamas' Health Ministry reported a 19-year-old's death and 48 injuries from gunfire during the GHF-managed food distribution on Tuesday night.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed a "mass influx of patients, including women and children, all with gunshot wounds" on Tuesday night at its field hospital in Rafah. However, no deaths were recorded at this specific hospital.

GHF also denied halting operations on Wednesday due to chaos or gunfire, claiming successful aid distribution via eight trucks, providing enough supplies for 378,262 meals. Furthermore, they announced plans to "intensify" operations starting Thursday. (Efe)

At least 13 individuals have perished in recent Israeli military strikes on the Gaza Strip, as reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. A bombardment in Jabalia, northern Gaza, claimed the lives of seven, including children. In Khan Younis, a drone attack resulted in the deaths of a man and his pregnant wife, with rescue teams recovering another body from rubble. A 13-year-old boy was killed in a bombing in Deir al Balah, central Gaza.

Since the conflict's onset on October 7, 2023, over 54,000 people have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, a UN food warehouse in Deir al Balah, central Gaza, was overrun by "hungry hordes," leaving at least two dead, according to the World Food Program. Initial UN data also indicates several injuries. The organization stressed the immediate need for increased food aid to prevent starvation among the population.

War Between Israel and Gaza

The Arab League's Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, argued that severing ties with Israel would be imprudent. Having witnessed the tumultuous Arab-Israeli relations since childhood, Gheit noted that despite the ongoing Israeli invasion and offensive in Gaza, with a death toll nearing 54,000, only five of the 22 Arab League states maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. None have cut ties over Gaza. Gheit, who participated in the 1978 Camp David Accords negotiations, emphasized the importance of dialogue with Israelis to achieve peace, a sentiment he shared in his book, Witness to War and Peace, launched in Madrid on Monday.

Is the Genocide in Gaza Resonating in Europe?

As 600 days pass since Israel's genocidal campaign on Gaza, the conflict's horrors persist unabated. Missiles, tanks, drones, and snipers continue their onslaught, while over two million displaced residents endure relentless upheaval. Author Neama Hassan recounted her family's eleventh relocation, managing to save a basil plant, bringing a fleeting smile amidst chaos.

Hunger as a Weapon of War in the Age of Abundance

Throughout human history, hunger has been a constant terror until the advent of industrialized agriculture in the 20th century. The fear of poor harvests, adverse weather, and food scarcity haunted societies, with bread as a staple. In ancient Pompeii, bakeries were ubiquitous, as securing a steady wheat supply was crucial for any Roman ruler. Historian Georges Duby described medieval agrarian crises marked by chronic hunger and malnutrition, where unburied corpses littered roadsides, and desperate individuals resorted to consuming anything, including dirt or human flesh.

Food as Another Tool of Control in Gaza

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's disorganized aid distribution has resulted in at least one death and 47 injuries from Israeli soldiers' gunfire, alongside violent disturbances and frequent interruptions in delivering insufficient assistance. These scenes highlight the dangerous manipulation of humanitarian aid to the beleaguered Palestinian territory by Israel, with US collaboration. Instead of effectively alleviating the suffering of a population already devastated by the military offensive since October 2023, the Israeli-American initiative has further disordered the distribution of essential resources, drawing criticism for its lack of neutrality and transparency.

Good morning. We begin live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East conflict on this Thursday, May 29.