At least 27 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire near an aid distribution site in Gaza, local officials said Tuesday, as civilians scrambled to collect desperately needed supplies.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defense agency, said tanks, helicopters and quadcopter drones opened fire on civilians near the al-Alam roundabout, about 0.6 miles from the aid site. Basal said the shooting occurred as people gathered to receive aid.
The Israel Defense Forces said its troops fired warning shots at individuals who “deviated from the designated access routes” and approached them in a way that “posed a threat.” Israel has previously denied opening fire in a similar incident Sunday that left at least 31 people dead and nearly 200 wounded, according to Gaza health officials.
Local health authorities and eyewitnesses disputed Israel’s denial, saying civilians were targeted as they waited for aid.
Atef al-Hout, director of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, said 24 bodies and 37 people with gunshot wounds were brought to the facility after Tuesday’s shooting. A foreign medic working in Rafah described the overnight violence as “total carnage” that overwhelmed hospitals.
Witness accounts shared with the BBC described gunfire erupting from helicopters, tanks and snipers as crowds gathered at the aid center. “Gunfire was coming from all directions. We used the wall for cover,” said Nadeem Zarab, who was waiting for aid with his uncle.
Another witness said they saw “intense shelling from aircraft and tanks” around 5 a.m. local time. Several others described a chaotic scene of panic and injuries as people tried to flee.
The Israel Defense Forces said its troops did not block access to the humanitarian distribution site, insisting warning shots were fired about half a kilometer away from the aid area. Israel bars international media, including the AP, from entering Gaza, making it difficult to independently verify details.
Aid Delivery Challenges
Aid distribution in Gaza is now largely handled by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israel- and U.S.-backed group that replaced the U.N. agencies previously responsible for aid delivery. Under the new system, Palestinians must travel to collection points in Israeli-controlled areas, often staffed by armed security contractors, and then carry heavy boxes of food back to their shelters.
Critics say the system forces people to gather overnight in hopes of securing a spot in line, unlike the U.N.-led system that delivered aid directly to neighborhoods. U.N. officials and international groups have condemned the new system, saying it “weaponizes” humanitarian aid and puts civilians in danger.
In a statement, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it safely conducted distribution operations on Tuesday but acknowledged that “civilians may have been injured” after moving beyond the designated safe corridor into a military zone. The foundation said this area was outside its secure distribution site.
Calls for Accountability
U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the killings, saying Palestinians face “the grimmest of choices: die from starvation or risk being killed while trying to access food.” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres also called for an “immediate and independent investigation” after Sunday’s shooting, saying those responsible must be held accountable.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began in response to Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Since then, Gaza health authorities say more than 54,000 people have been killed, including 4,200 since Israel resumed its offensive in mid-March.
