In a harrowing scene of desperation turned deadly, Israeli tanks opened fire on thousands of starving Palestinians waiting for food aid in Khan Younis, killing at least 59 and wounding over 220, including children, medics reported Tuesday.
📍 Eyewitnesses described chaos as the crowd was allowed to gather — only to be hit by tank shells moments later. Bloodied bodies littered the streets; wounded victims were rushed to overwhelmed hospitals in rickshaws and donkey carts.
“They gathered us, then they shelled us,” cried Alaa, a survivor. “People are dying for a bag of flour to feed their children.”
Viral videos showed bodies strewn across Gaza’s war-torn roads, marking one of the deadliest single-day massacres since aid resumed in May.
The Israeli military acknowledged opening fire, claiming a “gathering near a stuck aid truck” posed a threat and that the incident is “under review.”
Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry says nearly 400 aid-seekers have been killed since late May, with over 3,000 injured while simply trying to get food.
Israel’s new U.S.-backed aid system, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has come under fire for operating in zones guarded by Israeli troops. The UN calls it unsafe, biased, and inhumane — a far cry from impartial humanitarian relief.
Since October 2023, Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians and displaced nearly all 2.3 million residents. As famine looms, scenes like Khan Younis are becoming tragically routine.