Israeli troops ‘open fire’ at Palestinians queuing for food on 100th day of war

Palestinians inspect the rubble of a building after it was struck by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City (Picture: AP)

More than 23,800 Palestinians killed, 60,000 wounded, 2.2 million suffering food insecurity and 1.9 million internally displaced – this is what 100 days of Israel’s war on Gaza looks like in numbers.

There has been no end to the carnage in sight since Hamas carried out a deadly attack on southern Israel, massacring 1,200 people.

Since then, Israel has been bombing the Strip, while troops on the ground have brought unprecedented destruction, flattening entire neighbourhoods, making the conflict the bloodiest and most destructive.

As it entered its 100th day, Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of at least 1,000 people who were queuing for food, it was reported by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.

Footage shared on X by Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti shows civilians running for their lives after being targeted during distribution of humanitarian aid.

Israeli tanks and aircraft hit also targets in southern and central Gaza on Sunday and there were fierce gun battles in some areas.

Ziad Mansour, a neighbour of the Abu Aweidah family, sits next to writing painted on a wall amid the rubble of the family’s house (Picture: Reuters)

Communications and internet services were disrupted for the third day in a row, complicating the work of emergency and ambulance crews trying to help people in areas hit by fighting.

Fighting was concentrated in the southern city of Khan Younis, where Hamas said its fighters hit an Israeli tank, as well as in Al-Bureij and Al Maghazi.

‘No one is able to move,’ said Rami Abu Matouq, who lives in the Maghzai camp.

‘Warplanes, snipers and gunfire are everywhere.’

A picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip (Picture: AFP)

He said several buildings have been hit by airstrikes and shelling over the past two days but that no one can reach them to try to rescue any survivors.

In the north, health officials said an Israeli air strike killed a local journalist, raising the number of journalists killed in the Israeli offensive to more than 100.

The unprecedented level of death and destruction in Gaza has led South Africa to lodge allegations of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Israel denies the accusations and has vowed to press ahead with its offensive even if the court in The Hague issues an interim order for it to stop.

A counter protest by orthodox anti-zionist Jews is surrounded and has to be protected by a police buffer as one of their banners is torn down (Picture: Alamy Live News)

Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters wave flags and carry placards during a National March for Palestine in central London on January 13, 2024 (Picture: AFP)

‘No one will stop us, not The Hague, not the axis of evil and not anyone else,’ prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday evening, referring to Iran and its allied militias.

Israel has also vowed to return the more than 100 hostages still held in Gaza as its leaders have faced mounting protests from their families.

Only one hostage has so far been rescued, while more than 100 were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November in exchange for 240 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Hamas says no more hostages will be released until Israel ends its offensive.

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