Gaza: UN rights office deplores deadly strikes on Palestinians gathering firewood

OHCHR in the Occupied Palestinian Territory expressed dismay that “the Israeli military is destroying Gaza City, forcing Palestinians to flee and then killing them when they seek shelter in Middle Gaza, especially in and around An Nuseirat Camp.”

Amid the ongoing displacement and influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Israel intensified strikes on the northwestern part of Middle Gaza governorate, covering An Nuseirat and Az Zawaida areas.

Tents, homes and a busy market hit

Officials recorded at least 12 incidents there during the past five days which killed at least 89 Palestinians, most of whom appeared to be civilians – including many women and children.

The incidents included strikes on IDP tents, homes and a crowded market in An Nuseirat Camp where at least 17 Palestinians were reportedly killed.

“In addition, the Israeli military has reportedly launched airstrikes from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), artillery shelling, and live gunfire against those gathering firewood, especially in northern Middle Gaza, causing dozens of casualties,” the statement continued.

Between 1 August and 23 September, OHCHR recorded 14 such attacks which killed 21 Palestinians including at least one child.

The Office recalled that “Israel has completely blocked the entry of cooking gas since 2 March 2025, forcing people to rely on wood, mostly derived from flammable debris from destroyed buildings and broken furniture, as the only available source of fuel for cooking.”

Civilians under attack

OHCHR emphasised that Israel is obliged to distinguish between civilians and combatants and to refrain from directing attacks against civilians.

“The strikes which kill many Palestinians, including children and women, as well as the use of live ammunition against Palestinians collecting firewood, appear to amount to attacks directed at civilians, demonstrably not directly participating in hostilities,” the office said.

Supporting the hungry

Separately, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said that shelling and air strikes have continued across the Strip, with high-rise buildings reportedly hit in areas around Gaza City including Ar Rimal, Beach camp, and Tal al Hawa.

Teams are working to bring in aid to support bakeries and community kitchens. On Sunday, partners prepared and delivered some 658,000 meals across the enclave.

However, access to northern Gaza is especially complicated. Daily meals were reduced from 170,000 in mid-September to about 50,000 as aid partners relocated and scaled up their operations in the central and southern parts of the enclave.

“Humanitarian partners report that this week, about 50 communal ovens in Gaza City are operational, helping some 2,700 families bake their dough for free,” OCHA said.

The agency reminded that the UN and partners have not been allowed to bring any food aid from Zikim crossing into northern Gaza for more than two weeks.

Although many remain in Gaza City and the north, others continue to flee southwards with 6,900 such displacements recorded on Sunday through four monitoring points.

Overall, almost 453,000 displacements were recorded across Gaza since mid-August, with the majority originating from Gaza City.