Reports from the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health indicate that nearly 60 people were killed in southern Gaza on Tuesday during two separate incidents near locations where desperate residents were seeking food aid. The most significant event, which accounted for 51 deaths according to the ministry, occurred near a food aid truck that became stuck in the area of Khan Younis.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged a shooting incident took place near an aid distribution truck in Khan Younis. In response to inquiries, the IDF stated they identified “a gathering… adjacent to an aid distribution truck that got stuck… and in proximity to IDF troops operating in the area.” The IDF also acknowledged reports of injuries resulting from their fire following the crowd’s approach and stated that the “details of the incident are under review.”
Witnesses and aid workers painted a grim picture of the events near Khan Younis. People had gathered near a junction close to a World Food Programme site and community kitchen, waiting for flour amidst widespread hunger. According to witness accounts, drones initially fired upon the area, followed by shellfire from an Israeli tank, leading to multiple casualties. One injured man, brought to the overwhelmed Nasser Hospital Complex in Khan Younis, recounted waiting for food for his children when projectiles began falling on them.
Aid agencies and medical staff reported a significant influx of casualties, many with gunshot and shrapnel wounds, overwhelming local hospitals already struggling with limited supplies. A trauma surgeon noted a disturbing pattern of mass casualty incidents coinciding with the locations of announced food distribution sites, with trauma injuries predominantly being gunshot wounds in recent days. Aid workers have described the current aid delivery system as “dehumanising, dangerous and severely ineffective.”
Separately, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health reported another incident on the same day in southern Gaza, where eight people were killed near a different aid distribution site.
These incidents underscore the dire humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza. International aid agencies highlight severe hunger across the territory, with the United Nations reporting only a “very limited” amount of food entering the Strip. Humanitarian aid sites and routes have increasingly become flashpoints in the conflict. This occurs despite recent reports from COGAT, the Israeli organization responsible for aid delivery, that aid distribution centers were operating simultaneously.
The differing accounts surrounding the incident near Khan Younis highlight the challenges of reporting from the conflict zone, where access for independent verification is restricted. While the Hamas-run ministry attributed the deaths directly to Israeli fire targeting civilians, the IDF acknowledged firing near the crowd but stated the details are under review and have sometimes claimed troops fired warning shots or at individuals deemed a threat, denying intentionally targeting civilians seeking aid. The desperation for food means that even with warnings against approaching aid sites at certain times, many risk their lives for supplies, leading to chaotic and dangerous scenes.
The events near aid distribution points represent a tragic consequence of the ongoing conflict and the severe humanitarian situation, raising urgent concerns among international bodies and aid organizations about the safety of civilians attempting to access life-saving assistance.
