Gaza bakeries being targeted in Israeli attacks, say Palestinians

Israel has bombed and targeted areas with bakeries in Gaza over the course of the war while dozens of Palestinians were lining up to buy bread, causing high numbers of dead and wounded, Salam Marouf, the head of the government media office, said in a statement.

More than five bakeries were targeted in different areas to the north and south of Gaza, either directly or in the area where they are located, Maarouf said.

By repeatedly targeting bakeries, he said Israel sought to worsen the humanitarian situation, inflict a greater number of casualties and “make it more difficult for citizens, to the point that obtaining some loaves of bread has become a dangerous journey.”

Aid groups, including the World Food Programme, have warned Gaza is running low on food supplies with shops only having a few days worth of supplies left.

While a deal has been struck between Egypt and Israel to allow aid trucks to reach Gaza, the earliest it could arrive is Friday, according to US President Joe Biden.

The war, which comes after the bloody October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that officials said has claimed more than 1,400 lives, has set off a wave of fury across the Middle East against Israel and its Western allies.

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