Eyewitnesses and hospital officials report that Israeli troops opened fire on starving Palestinians en route to food distribution points, amid a deepening famine and mounting malnutrition deaths.
DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA STRIP
At least 23 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Sunday as they tried to reach food distribution sites in the Gaza Strip, according to hospital sources and eyewitness accounts. The victims were part of desperate crowds seeking aid in a territory on the brink of famine, under a punishing blockade and military offensive that has stretched nearly two years.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos and bloodshed. “I couldn’t stop and help them because of the bullets,” said Yousef Abed, who saw several people shot near a distribution point in Teina. “It was indiscriminate fire.”
Hospitals Report Dead and Wounded from Multiple Locations
Southern Gaza’s Nasser Hospital confirmed it had received bodies from several sites:
- Eight from Teina, about 3 km from a distribution center in Khan Younis.
- One from Shakoush, just north of another aid site in Rafah.
- Nine from near the Morag corridor, where people had gathered near an Israeli border crossing.
In central Gaza, Awda Hospital reported five more Palestinians killed and 27 wounded near the GHF distribution center at the Netzarim corridor.
GHF—the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—is a U.S. and Israeli-backed private contractor that assumed responsibility for aid distribution in May, replacing the previously UN-run system. Distribution points are located in areas heavily secured by Israeli troops.
Eyewitnesses Describe Being Fired Upon
Three separate eyewitnesses told The Associated Press they were fired on by Israeli soldiers while walking toward aid sites. In Teina, Morag, and Netzarim, they described troops opening fire as crowds approached—despite the peaceful nature of the gathering.
“Troops were trying to prevent people from advancing. They opened fire and we fled,” said Hamza Matter, who had been seeking food at the northern distribution site. “Some people were shot.”
Similar gunfire incidents have been reported repeatedly in recent days, with dozens killed while trying to access food. The United Nations estimates that 859 people have been killed near GHF-run sites between May 27 and July 31 alone. Hundreds more are reported to have died along UN-led food convoy routes.
Aid Access Cut, Famine Spreads
The GHF has denied using lethal force, claiming only non-lethal methods like pepper spray and warning shots are used. Israel’s military echoes this claim. However, neither responded to media inquiries about the Sunday shootings, and mounting evidence from hospitals and eyewitnesses tells a different story.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported six more adult deaths from malnutrition in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 82 adults and 93 children who have died of hunger-related causes since the war began.
Background: The War’s Devastating Toll
The war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a deadly assault on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. In retaliation, Israel launched a full-scale military campaign across Gaza.
To date, over 60,400 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Though Israel disputes these figures, the United Nations and independent agencies consider the ministry’s data the most accurate available. The toll includes both civilians and combatants—though the exact breakdown remains unclear.
As of now, aid remains scarce, violence continues, and hunger tightens its grip on a civilian population with nowhere left to turn.