AMY GOODMAN: Officials in Gaza say Israeli attacks over the past day have killed at least 95 Palestinians and injured 440 others. At least 18 of the dead are in Khan Younis following an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the new shadowy U.S.-, Israeli-backed aid operation has suspended aid distribution for a day to address what it called, quote, “renovation, reorganization and efficiency improvement work,” unquote. This comes after Palestinian officials accused Israel of repeatedly attacking Palestinians headed to the aid sites. The attacks killed 102 people, left nearly 500 others wounded.

The dead included a mother named Reem Zaidan, who was shot while waiting for aid in western Rafah. On Tuesday, her children and other mourners gathered for her funeral procession in Khan Younis. This is Reem Zaidan’s 16-year-old daughter Tahrir.

TAHRIR ZAIDAN: [translated] In the highest paradise, mom — we’ll see her in the highest paradise, God willing. … She put on her abaya and veil, took a sack of flour and a bag with her, hoping to fill them with canned food. For five days, she’s been going for nothing.

AMY GOODMAN: And this is Reem Zaidan’s 15-year-old son Ahmed describing how his mother was fatally shot while trying to get aid.

AHMED ZAIDAN: [translated] We haven’t eaten in two months. Everything has been under siege. Of course, we were going to go get aid. Today, my mother was telling my brother, “Lean over. Lower your head. Do what I’m doing.” My brother turned his head. Then a bullet went into her head.

AMY GOODMAN: We go now to Gaza City, where we’re joined by Mahmoud Alsaqqa, the Oxfam food security and livelihoods coordinator in Gaza.

Welcome back to Democracy Now! In a moment, we’re going to be going to the ship that’s trying to make its way to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza. We’ll be speaking with the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. But can you, Mahmoud, tell us what’s happening on the ground and the latest with this closing of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation set up by Israel, backed by the U.S., that took over the, what, three or four sites — it built them — instead of the 400 that were on the ground around Gaza?

MAHMOUD ALSAQQA: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for having me again.

In fact, the situation on the ground is extremely chaotic. And it’s as we have warned before about this, especially with this aid distribution mechanism. In fact, what is happening in these new militarized distribution points, it’s more about the humiliation and the control of the people. We are seeing the people — thousands of people are standing from the early hours in the morning to secure something to their starving children. And in such cases, it’s rare even to get actually the supplies. And now they are facing the issue of returning home alive. So, we are considering these points as death traps, and we are seeing shooting of starving people near to these sites, especially what’s happened in Rafah, as per your reporting, deaths. It’s horrifying, and many people have lost their lives in these sites.

So, these sites are controlled by private actors. It’s located in military zones, in military conflict areas. So, they didn’t even consider any things related to that, to the human beings and dignity. And what was exposed — expected to have from these sites is contradicts again and nothing achieved in terms of addressing the high and the overwhelming needs of the people here in Gaza.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Mahmoud, the other organizations, aid organizations, that have been on the ground since this conflict began, has the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had any kind of communication or coordination with the existing groups?

MAHMOUD ALSAQQA: No, no. You know, our position from the first, that we were against such a mechanism, because we have the system in place. We have the system of the U.N. and the international NGOs that exist in place and which has proven its effectiveness since the 19 months, and even the improvement was noticed during the ceasefire period, where we were able to reach more and more vulnerable people. And this is vulnerable people who are not accessing even this distribution — the new GHO distribution points. And we have this multisectoral assistance. What we are having now in these distribution points is just food, and the people in need for a multisectoral assistance that we were even and we were trying to provide, this including the medical supplies, the clean water, shelter materials and all these things. And these things are now ignored within this mechanism. And we are trying all the time to abide to the international humanitarian law and to preserving the dignity of those people, which is — this mechanism strips the people of dignity, and this is why we are seeing all this humiliation of the people.

In summary, this mechanism is dehumanizing the people, and it’s really dangerous. People are losing their lives there. And it’s ineffective in reaching the people, especially the vulnerable people. And we have our mechanism in place and active, so there’s no need even for this mechanism at all.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And is Israel allowing any supplies in for the existing mechanism of aid groups in Gaza?

MAHMOUD ALSAQQA: Yeah, as you know, after the international community pressure on Israel after 12 weeks of a full blockade, on the 21st of March, they allowed a trickle of aid to come in. But it still have this over control on this aid that are coming, and it’s very limited quantities that are coming. And even it’s limited for food supplies and some nutrition items, where the need is much more than this. On average, what we are receiving in Gaza Strip right now in this mechanism is around 50 trucks, 60 trucks, or even less, more. But it’s nothing compared to what we should have, and it’s not addressing the huge needs of the people here in the Gaza Strip.

So, even with these mechanisms, we are still seeing this happening, and the people are starving. And this is the question, that: Where is the problem? The problem is with this mechanism, is that it’s not efficient or effective. We need to have a smooth supply of the aid in order to be able to provide the services. And we succeeded in doing so in a previous period of time.

AMY GOODMAN: Mahmoud, the U.N. Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has reported that the number of Gaza’s children killed or injured by Israel since October 2023 has surpassed 50,000. In a statement, UNICEF wrote, “How many more dead girls and boys will it take? What level of horror must be livestreamed before the international community fully steps up, uses its influence, and takes bold, decisive action to force the end of this ruthless killing of children?” As we speak, people in London are forming a red line. They’re holding red banners fully around the British Parliament. While Britain and France and Canada have said they’re going to crack down on relations with Israel, these people are demanding that they stop arming Israel. Can you talk about what’s happening with the children on the ground at this point?

MAHMOUD ALSAQQA: Yeah, the situation is deteriorating over time, especially with the vulnerable groups, including the children, you know? And according to the last food security and nutrition report, that we are expecting more worsening in the health of children, who are more affected by this shortages of all supplies in the Gaza Strip. And this is increasing, because we are seeing more displacement orders are in place, more intensifying of the military operations, and more displacement for the people to crowded people, so — to crowded places, so we are seeing the outbreak of diseases. And the health from — the health, public health, is deteriorating, and the health sector is collapsing, so we are expecting worse for the vulnerable groups, including the children.

So, this is why we have to save lives. We must go back to our work, reopening all the crossings, and lift the movement and the fuel restrictions for the people. And what we are seeing around the world nowadays, it’s really important and should be continued in order to hold Israel accountable to their — what they are doing right now, and also to reach this permanent ceasefire. Nowadays we are talking about permanent ceasefire, when we do not need a proposal to have such a few days and return back to the same area. We need a permanent ceasefire, so the people can breathe again and at least to have — to be able to recover from all these things that they are encountering and facing right now.

AMY GOODMAN: Mahmoud Alsaqqa, I want to thank you so much for being with us, Oxfam’s food security and livelihoods coordinator, speaking to us from Gaza.

When we come back, we go to the high seas to Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who’s attempting to sail to Gaza with about a dozen other people on a humanitarian aid boat organized by the Freedom Flotilla. She’ll join us from the boat. Back in 30 seconds.

[break]

AMY GOODMAN: “Big Fish Can’t Fly” by Ana Tijoux in our Democracy Now! studio.