Reports indicate a grim pattern of violence targeting Palestinians desperately seeking food aid in Gaza. Multiple incidents have resulted in significant casualties, highlighting the dire humanitarian crisis and the perilous conditions under which civilians attempt to access essential supplies.
One particularly deadly event occurred recently near an aid distribution site in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. According to local medics and witnesses, Israeli tanks and later potentially gunfire opened fire on a large crowd gathered hoping to receive food. This incident alone reportedly resulted in the deaths of approximately 59 to 60 people and wounded hundreds more, with medics at Nasser Hospital receiving 51 deceased and 221 injured from this site.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of “horror.” They recounted shells landing among the crowd, followed by intense gunfire. Injuries were severe, predominantly affecting the upper body, with reports of dismembered body parts and amputations. Due to the scale of casualties, hospitals were overwhelmed, with the wounded overflowing into corridors and bodies placed outside morgues. Civilian cars, rickshaws, and even donkey carts were used to transport the injured. Witnesses noted the difficulty in distinguishing between the dead and wounded amidst the chaos.
This incident follows similar reports of fatalities at other aid distribution points earlier in June. Over 60 deaths were reported across multiple days as Palestinians sought aid, many from sites managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an organization supported by Israel and the US as an alternative aid delivery mechanism. Incidents near Netzarim in central Gaza and Rafah also saw dozens killed while approaching these GHF-linked sites.
These tragic events underscore the severe humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza. Following months of a tight blockade, residents face near-famine conditions, and food is extremely scarce and prohibitively expensive, driving people to risk their lives at aid distribution points. Aid delivery remains fraught with obstacles, including damaged infrastructure, military restrictions, ongoing conflict, and growing lawlessness.
The GHF itself has become a point of controversy. While aiming to provide aid, critics and some former affiliates argue that distributing food from a limited number of heavily militarized sites makes access inherently dangerous. The organization has faced warnings of potential legal liability for alleged complicity in war crimes, with some experts cautioning against this distribution model. High-profile figures involved in the GHF’s establishment have reportedly resigned.
The Israeli military (IDF) has acknowledged incidents involving firing in these areas. They stated awareness of reports regarding injured individuals near troops and stuck aid trucks and indicated that details are under review. For earlier incidents, the IDF mentioned troops firing “warning shots” towards groups deemed a threat in active combat zones. The IDF has expressed regret for harm to uninvolved individuals and stated operations aim to minimize such harm while ensuring troop safety.
Reporting on these events from Gaza is challenging due to significant restrictions on international journalists, making independent verification difficult. However, accounts from Palestinian medics and witnesses on the ground consistently paint a picture of civilians facing extreme danger in their desperate search for food amidst the ongoing conflict.
