ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Former U.S. President Donald Trump voiced confidence on Friday that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could be reached “within the next week,” as international criticism mounts over increasing civilian casualties in Gaza, particularly at food distribution centers.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “We think within the next week, we’re going to get a ceasefire,” referring to ongoing negotiations aimed at halting hostilities in the war-torn enclave.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as Aid Sites Become Targets
The conflict reignited in March when Israel resumed attacks on Hamas following a short-lived ceasefire brokered at the end of President Joe Biden’s administration, with Trump’s transition team involved in the talks. In the weeks that followed, humanitarian conditions in Gaza deteriorated rapidly.
Israel halted all aid and supply routes for over two months, drawing international concern about a looming famine. Although aid resumed via the U.S.- and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), United Nations officials and aid groups report that these centers have become sites of deadly violence.
“The new aid distribution system has become a killing field,” said Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), on X. “People \[are] shot at while trying to access food for themselves and their families. This abomination must end.”
UN, MSF Condemn “Mass Killings” Near Aid Sites
Since late May, more than 500 Palestinians have reportedly been killed while attempting to receive aid, according to Gaza’s health ministry. On Friday alone, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported 80 deaths across the territory, including 10 individuals who were waiting near GHF distribution sites.
“The search for food must never be a death sentence,” stated UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) labeled the GHF effort as “slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid.”
Israeli Military Denies Allegation
The Israeli military has denied deliberately targeting civilians and refuted claims that troops fired at aid seekers. A report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz alleged that military commanders had issued directives to open fire on crowds near aid sites, prompting calls for an internal investigation.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz condemned the report as “contemptible blood libels” and “malicious falsehoods.”
Israel’s foreign ministry defended GHF, stating it had provided 46 million meals in Gaza and accused the UN of “aligning itself with Hamas” in its criticism of the aid program.
Escalation on the Ground
Fighting has continued across several regions of Gaza. The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, claimed responsibility for shelling an Israeli vehicle in southern Gaza. The Al-Quds Brigades, linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, also reported coordinated attacks on Israeli forces near Khan Yunis.
According to official figures, Hamas’s initial October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, primarily civilians. In response, Israel’s military campaign has since killed at least 56,331 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry. The United Nations continues to rely on these figures.
