At least 67 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded on Sunday when Israeli forces allegedly opened fire on a crowd gathered to receive humanitarian aid in northern Gaza, according to the territory’s civil defence agency. The incident occurred near Gaza City as thousands of desperate civilians approached a 25-truck food convoy operated by the UN World Food Programme (WFP).
The WFP confirmed its convoy had encountered “massive crowds of hungry civilians” who came under gunfire shortly after crossing into Gaza from Israel. The agency condemned the violence, calling it “completely unacceptable.”
Israel’s military disputed the reported death toll, stating that soldiers had only fired warning shots to neutralize an “immediate threat.” However, Gaza’s civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the toll was expected to rise and described the shooting as “targeted and indiscriminate.”
Witnesses described scenes of chaos and horror. Qasem Abu Khater, 36, said, “The tanks were firing shells randomly at us, and Israeli snipers were shooting as if they were hunting animals.” He added that dozens died before his eyes in what he described as “deadly overcrowding and pushing.”
Civilian deaths during aid distribution efforts have become tragically frequent in Gaza. According to the UN, nearly 800 aid-seekers have been killed since late May, including along aid convoy routes.
In a separate incident in southern Gaza, six people were killed near an aid distribution centre in Rafah. The day before, dozens more had also reportedly lost their lives in the same area.
As fighting escalates, the Israeli military announced the expansion of its operations into Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, prompting fresh displacement warnings for civilians. The move has raised alarms among families of hostages still held in Gaza, who fear for their loved ones’ safety.
Pope Francis has called for an end to the “barbarity” in Gaza, urging the international community to uphold humanitarian law and protect civilians. His appeal followed an Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church, which killed three sheltering civilians.
Since the war began on October 7, 2023, over 58,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas are ongoing, with hopes for a 60-day truce and release of remaining hostages.
