At least 51 Palestinians were killed and over 200 wounded on Tuesday after Israeli tanks fired shells into a crowd of people waiting for humanitarian aid in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The victims were gathered near food distribution trucks when multiple shells struck the area, causing widespread casualties. Medics at the scene said more than 20 of the wounded are in critical condition. The wards at Nasser Hospital were overwhelmed, forcing staff to treat patients in hallways and on the floor due to a lack of space.
Eyewitnesses reported that two shells were fired at a large group of civilians awaiting aid in what has become a grimly common tragedy during the ongoing war in Gaza.
There was no immediate response from the Israeli military, which has not commented on the latest incident. In similar past cases, the Israeli Defence Forces have occasionally acknowledged gunfire near aid sites but often attribute the violence to militant provocations.
READ ALSO:Â Saudi seeks end to Israeli aggression in Gaza
This attack follows another deadly incident on Monday, when at least 23 Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli gunfire while trying to reach a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid center in Rafah. The U.S.-backed GHF claimed it had safely distributed over three million meals at its four sites without prior incidents, but the UN has criticised the distribution plan as unsafe and partial.
The mounting civilian casualties around aid points highlight the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where nearly the entire population is displaced and food shortages have reached crisis levels. The United Nations and several human rights organisations have expressed alarm at the growing number of mass-casualty incidents linked to aid delivery attempts.
Tuesday’s shelling marks another tragic episode in the conflict that reignited in October 2023, after Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
The International Court of Justice is currently reviewing genocide allegations against Israel, while the International Criminal Court has received submissions of war crimes from human rights groups. Israel has denied all allegations and maintains that its operations target Hamas militants, not civilians.
Aid workers and independent observers warn that without urgent international intervention, the death toll will continue to rise not only from airstrikes and shelling but from starvation, disease, and untreated injuries.
Efforts to mediate a ceasefire have stalled, as both sides refuse to yield on core demands. Meanwhile, ordinary Palestinians continue to bear the brunt of a conflict that shows no signs of ending.
PunchNewspaper
