At least 73 Palestinians were killed on Sunday after Israeli forces opened fire on large crowds of civilians seeking humanitarian aid in Gaza, according to Gaza’s civil defence.
Reports indicate that 67 people lost their lives in the north while six more were killed near Rafah in the south. These victims were part of desperate crowds gathering for food and supplies amid the ongoing war.
The UN World Food Programme, WFP, said its 25-truck food convoy came under gunfire shortly after passing Israeli checkpoints near Gaza City. The WFP described the violence against aid-seeking civilians as “completely unacceptable.” However, the Israeli military disputed the high death toll, claiming soldiers fired only warning shots to stop what they called an “immediate threat.”
Tragic incidents involving aid seekers have become common in Gaza as hunger and medical emergencies intensify. A resident described the scene as pure chaos, with tanks firing randomly and Israeli snipers targeting people “like animals.” Eyewitnesses say the area was overwhelmed with thousands of desperate individuals trying to get even a bag of flour for survival.
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The war between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7, 2023, has now killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, as per Gaza’s health ministry. In contrast, Hamas’s attack led to the deaths of over 1,200 people in Israel. The Pope and other international voices have condemned the ongoing violence, urging respect for civilians, humanitarian laws, and places of worship.
