At least 25 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in wake of Gaza City famine

Over half of the victims were sheltering in tents when they died, with others killed in gunfire whilst seeking food from aid providers, according to officials.

The deaths follow the exceptional announcement made by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on August 22. 

According to morgue records and health officials at Nassar Hospital, at least 14 individuals were killed in Israeli strikes on the southern Gaza Strip.

Officials said the strikes, which took place early on August 23, targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis - home to hundreds of thousands who had fled from strikes elsewhere in Gaza.

More than half of the dead were women and children.

Elsewhere in northern Gaza, health officials at the Sheikh Radwan field hospital report Israeli gunfire killed at least five aid-seekers on Saturday. The incident occurred near the Zikim crossing with Israel, where the UN and other agencies' aid trucks enter the territory.

Another six people were killed in other attacks on Gaza on Saturday, according to hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to questions about the deaths.

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The famine declaration from the IPC has seen governments and aid groups intensify their pleas for Israel to halt its 22-month offensive on Gaza, prompted by Hamas' attacks on October 7, 2023.

For months, aid groups have warned that the war and Israel's restrictions on food into Gaza are causing starvation among civilians. The recent report said that the famine gripping Gaza City is likely to spread if fighting and restrictions on humanitarian aid continue.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has denounced the IPC report as "an outright lie", and accused Hamas of starving the hostages. 

Israel says it has allowed enough aid to enter during the war, and continues to press ahead with preparations to seize Gaza City. With ground troops already active in strategic areas, the widescale operation could start within days.

Efforts toward a ceasefire that could forestall the offensive are on hold as mediators await Israel's next steps.

The IPC pronouncement was its first in the Middle East, coming after Israel imposed a two-and-a-half-month blockade on Gaza earlier this year. Israel later eased access with a focus on a new US-backed private aid supplier, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

The GHF has faced strong criticism from bodies including the UN, which has described some of their actions as "utterly disturbing" on August 5.

Following global outrage over images of emaciated children, Israel has allowed some aid to enter Gaza in recent weeks, both via airdrops and land. Despite this, the UN and other aid agencies say the food reaching Gaza is still not nearly enough.

The IPC said nearly half a million people in Gaza, about a quarter of the population, face catastrophic hunger that leaves many at risk of dying. The report, released August 22, said widespread displacement and the collapse of food production had amplified the situation.

Journalists have seen chaos and security problems on roads leading to aid deliveries, and there have been reports of Israeli troops firing towards people seeking aid.

Israel's military says warning shots are fired if individuals approach the troops or pose a threat to soldiers.

Aid group Doctors without Borders (MSF) said on Saturday its clinics around Gaza City are seeing high numbers of patients as people flee recent bombardments.

The group said in a statement that "strikes are forcing people, including MSF staff, to flee their homes once again, and we are seeing displacement across Gaza City''.

The Israeli military has said troops are operating on the outskirts of Gaza City and in the city's Zeitoun area.