Palestinians hit while waiting for relief; 51 killed over 200 injured; experts warned famine in Gaza
51 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces and more than 200 were left wounded on Tuesday morning while waiting for UN and commercial aid trucks to enter the Gaza Strip territory, according to Gaza’s health ministry and a local hospital. The deaths occurred as residents gathered near the entry point of the trucks bringing much needed food into the territory.Witnesses told The Associated Press that Israeli forces opened fire on the crowd. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for a response.Yousef Nofal, an eyewitness, described seeing people motionless and bleeding on the ground after the Israeli forces opened fire. “It was a massacre,” he said, claiming that Israeli forces continued shooting as people attempted to flee. Another witness, Mohammed Abu Qeshfa, reported hearing a loud explosion followed by heavy gunfire and tank shelling. “I survived by a miracle,” he said. According to Palestinian accounts, Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on crowds trying to access food distribution points operated by the new aid network. Local health authorities say dozens have been killed and hundreds more injured in these incidents.The Israeli military has previously acknowledged firing warning shots in response to what it described as suspicious approaches to its forces.Israel has defended the new system as a measure to prevent Hamas from diverting humanitarian aid for militant purposes. However, UN agencies and major international aid groups have rejected the network, citing humanitarian concerns. They argue that the system allows Israel to determine access to aid and fails to meet the urgent need of the population.The UN run aid network, which has been operating throughout the 20 month long war between Israel and Hamas, has faced increasing challenges. Although Israel eased a full blockade in place from March to mid May, UN officials say military restrictions, looting, and the breakdown of law and order continue to obstruct aid distribution.Since the beginning of Israel’s military operation in October 2023, more than 55,300 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The ministry reports that over half of the casualties were women and children. The figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.Israel launched the campaign aiming to destroy Hamas following the group’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. In that attack, approximately 1,200 people were killed, most of them civilians, and 251 were taken hostage. Of those hostages, 53 still remain in captivity, and fewer than half of them are believed to be alive. Most of the others have been released through ceasefire agreements or other deals.
