Israeli Gunfire at Gaza Aid Convoy Kills 51, Injures Over 200

At least 51 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 injured on Tuesday near an aid convoy in Gaza’s Khan Younis, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry and hospital officials. 

The casualties occurred as civilians gathered to receive food from United Nations and commercial aid trucks in the embattled southern city.

Image Source: MHDKafasa on X

Palestinian eyewitnesses told news agency Associated Press that Israeli forces first launched an airstrike on a nearby home, followed by gunfire directed at the crowd assembled near the convoy. 

The Israeli military, on the other hand, stated that its soldiers observed a large group gathering near a stalled aid truck close to ongoing military operations. 

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), initial reports indicated casualties resulted from IDF fire as people moved toward the truck, and investigations are ongoing.

The incident unfolded amid growing tensions over competing aid delivery mechanisms in Gaza. The shooting did not involve the recently launched U.S.- and Israeli-backed aid system run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates separately from the United Nations. 

That system has faced criticism from major humanitarian organizations, which argue it falls short of meeting Gaza’s severe humanitarian needs and allows Israeli control over aid distribution.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate rapidly. U.N. agencies warn of impending famine affecting Gaza’s population of approximately 2 million, citing persistent Israeli military restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting that hampers aid distribution.

Israel’s military campaign, ongoing since October 2023 following the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war, has so far killed over 55,300 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. 

The ministry's figures include both civilians and combatants, with women and children comprising more than half of the reported fatalities.