In a tragic incident at an aid distribution site in southern Gaza, Israeli forces reportedly killed over 51 Palestinians and injured many more. The event unfolded near Khan Younis, where witnesses and rescue teams described a chaotic atmosphere as people gathered for essential flour supplies provided by the World Food Programme (WFP).
Details of the incident
The Hamas-controlled civil defense agency stated that Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd, leading to more than 200 injuries. Eyewitness accounts noted that missile strikes from Israeli drones were followed by tank shelling from a distance of approximately 400 to 500 meters, which resulted in devastating casualties.
The gathering of thousands took place near a critical junction leading to Bani Suheila, an area that has recently been the focus of intensified Israeli military operations. The local Nasser Hospital, the primary medical facility in the region, has been inundated with casualties, forcing many injured individuals to lay on the floor as medical staff struggle to provide care.
“Israeli drones fired at the citizens. Some minutes later, Israeli tanks fired several shells at the citizens, which led to a large number of martyrs and wounded,”
said Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s civil defense agency. In response to the incident, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged the situation, stating their troops had identified a gathering near an aid distribution truck and were aware of reports regarding injured individuals as a result of their fire.
Context of the violence
This incident marks yet another occurrence in a series of deadly shootings near aid distribution sites, where the vast majority of recent casualties have been linked to the delivery of humanitarian aid rather than direct strikes on Hamas. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the incident as a mass casualty event, emphasizing the lethal correlation between aid distribution locations and violence.
Dr. Thanos Gargavanis, a WHO trauma surgeon, highlighted the alarming trend of trauma injuries being predominantly caused by gunfire, noting the relentless pressure on medical facilities like Nasser Hospital due to ongoing violence and dwindling medical supplies. The hospital has endured a continuous influx of casualties from various shooting incidents near aid distribution points set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has raised concerns regarding security and emergency response capabilities.
The IDF has typically defended its actions by asserting that warning shots were fired to deter what they labeled as threatening behavior from individuals approaching them. However, due to severe restrictions, international media organizations, including the BBC, face significant challenges in verifying these accounts and gaining access to Gaza.
In light of the escalating violence, Hamas has condemned the aid centers as ‘death traps,’ while looting has become rampant among a populace grappling with extreme food scarcity. Critics argue that the GHF’s involvement aligns with Israeli governmental strategies aimed at displacing Palestinians into smaller areas of Gaza, amid ongoing humanitarian crises.
Calls for an investigation into the shootings have emerged, with UN officials asserting that Israel is weaponizing food and demanding immediate action to address the humanitarian catastrophe. Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, expressed concern over the continuous tragedies in Gaza, as the international community appears to lack a viable solution to the daily violence faced by civilians seeking basic supplies.
The conflict has persisted for 20 months since Israel commenced military operations in Gaza following a significant Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, resulting in considerable loss of life on both sides. According to the health ministry in Gaza, over 55,297 individuals have been killed since the onset of this military campaign.