In one of the deadliest incidents in Gaza in recent weeks, at least 51 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 others wounded after Israeli forces opened fire near an aid distribution point in southern Gaza, according to witnesses and rescue teams.
The violence erupted in Khan Younis, where thousands had gathered at a World Food Programme (WFP) aid site in desperate search of flour and food. The Hamas-run civil defence agency reported that Israeli drones fired missiles, followed by shelling from a tank stationed roughly 400 to 500 meters from the crowd. The scene, described as chaotic and catastrophic, unfolded along a key junction near Bani Suheila—a location already under continuous Israeli military operations.
Footage verified by BBC journalists confirms the incident’s location. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as explosions hit the crowd, resulting in mass casualties. Many of the wounded were rushed to Nasser Hospital, the area’s main functioning medical facility, which has become dangerously overwhelmed. Medical staff are treating patients on the floor due to a lack of space and supplies.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged the incident, stating a gathering was detected near a stuck aid truck and that troops were in the vicinity. The IDF added they were “aware of reports regarding a number of injured individuals from IDF fire” and said the event was under investigation.
“This is again the result of another food distribution initiative,” said Thanos Gargavanis, a trauma surgeon and emergency officer with the World Health Organization (WHO). He noted that many injuries are due to gunshots, reinforcing fears over the security of food distribution operations in the strip.
For weeks, incidents like this have become tragically common. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—an aid delivery effort supported by the U.S. and Israel—has attempted to supply food in southern and central Gaza. However, these sites are often surrounded by chaos. Civilians desperate for food have faced live fire, and the organization has had to close operations temporarily due to security breakdowns.
Although the GHF has distanced itself from the violence by claiming incidents occur away from their facilities, locals and critics argue that the entire system is unsafe by design. Verified videos show uncontrolled crowds surging toward aid trucks, highlighting a lack of proper distribution infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Israeli warnings for Palestinians to avoid aid sites between 18:00 and 06:00 ring hollow for many who say that such guidelines are impossible to follow when food is so scarce. Even aid convoys and distribution trucks have become targets, whether by design or due to confusion in a region where military and civilian zones are often indistinguishable.
Hamas has called the aid sites “death traps,” while growing lawlessness and competition among criminal gangs, militias, and Hamas fighters have made every aid run a dangerous gamble for civilians.
Critics say the current distribution model is part of a broader Israeli strategy to displace Palestinians into smaller enclaves in southern Gaza. Israel, however, argues the new system is necessary to prevent aid from falling into Hamas’ hands and has long aimed to replace the United Nations as the key humanitarian actor in Gaza.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk has condemned the situation, accusing Israel of “weaponising food” and demanding an independent investigation into the shootings. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini warned that the “tragedies go on unabated while attention shifts elsewhere.”
The latest violence underscores the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza nearly 20 months after Israel launched a military campaign in response to the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. That assault left about 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 55,297 Palestinians have been killed since the campaign began. With no clear solution in sight, aid distribution efforts continue to falter, and civilians—already on the brink of starvation—face daily risks simply trying to survive.