KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — At least 51 Palestinians have lost their lives and over 200 have been injured while waiting for U.N. and commercial aid trucks to arrive in the Gaza Strip, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry and local hospitals.
Witnesses have informed The Associated Press that Israeli forces targeted a nearby house with an airstrike before opening fire on the crowd in Khan Younis. The Israeli military noted that soldiers identified a gathering near a stuck aid truck and admitted that “several casualties” occurred when they opened fire on the approaching people, stating they would investigate the incident.
This shooting seems to be unrelated to a recent aid delivery initiative endorsed by Israel and the U.S., which commenced last month and has faced criticism and violence. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that the victims were awaiting food packages arriving via U.N. convoys.
Witness Accounts of a Tragedy
Eyewitness Yousef Nofal described the scene, saying he saw many injured and motionless individuals on the ground after the gunfire. “It was a massacre,” he stated, adding that troops continued to shoot at people as they attempted to escape. Another witness, Mohammed Abu Qeshfa, recounted a loud explosion followed by intense gunfire, saying, “I survived by a miracle.” The casualties were taken to Nasser Hospital, which confirmed the death toll of 51, while medical charity MSF later reported it had risen to 59, with around 200 others wounded.
Desperation and Frustration
Samaher Meqdad arrived at the hospital searching for her missing brothers and nephew. “We don’t want flour. We don’t want food. We don’t want anything,” she lamented. “Why did they shoot at the youth? Aren’t we human beings?” Palestinians allege that Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on crowds seeking food from various distribution points established by a U.S. and Israeli-backed organization.
In similar situations, the Israeli military has acknowledged firing warning shots at individuals who approached their forces suspiciously. Furthermore, airstrikes in other areas of the enclave persisted, with Al-Awda Hospital reporting the arrival of eight deceased Palestinians from a strike on a home in the Bureij refugee camp.
Challenges in the Aid System
Israel claims that a new aid system managed by a private contractor, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, aims to prevent Hamas from misappropriating aid funds. However, U.N. agencies and major humanitarian groups argue that the new system is inadequate to meet the growing needs in Gaza, violating humanitarian principles by allowing Israeli control over aid access.
Experts have warned of looming famine in Gaza, a region home to about 2 million people. The existing U.N. aid system has been facing significant challenges as it attempts to deliver aid during ongoing violence. According to U.N. officials, restrictions, loss of civil order, and widespread looting hinder the aid distribution allowed by Israel. OCHA spokesperson Olga Cherevko stated that aid permitted by Israeli authorities has been “significantly insufficient.”
Since the onset of its military operations in October 2023, over 55,300 Palestinians have reportedly died, with a majority being women and children, as per Gaza’s Health Ministry. This figure does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel’s campaign was launched in response to an October 7 attack by Hamas, which resulted in around 1,200 Israeli deaths, primarily civilian, and the abduction of 251 individuals. As of now, militants still hold 53 hostages, less than half of whom are believed to be alive.
