Tel Aviv, Israel (BN24) – Israeli forces shot and killed at least 22 Palestinians and wounded 20 more in Gaza on Monday, many of them as they tried to collect urgently needed food, according to witnesses, hospitals, and Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The incident is part of a deadly pattern linked to the controversial U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), which has replaced the United Nations as the primary channel for aid distribution. Over the past month, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed in the chaos around these deliveries.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said it received 11 bodies of people shot while returning from a GHF distribution point. Another 10 were killed at a United Nations aid warehouse in northern Gaza.
Witness Accounts of the Shooting
The southern incident occurred about three kilometers from the GHF site in Khan Younis, along the sole accessible route home. Palestinians described Israeli troops in tanks and armored vehicles speeding toward them, firing warning shots before opening fire directly into the crowds.
“They fired at us indiscriminately,” said Yousef Mahmoud Mokheimar, who was shot in the leg. He described seeing a man gunned down while trying to help him and said soldiers detained six people, including three children. “We don’t know whether they are still alive,” he added.
Another witness, Monzer Hisham Ismail, said the crowd was returning from an American-run hub when artillery fire struck.
Nasser Hospital also reported a separate fatal shooting near a GHF point in Rafah.
Military Response
The Israeli military said it was reviewing reports of the attacks. In previous statements about similar incidents, it has maintained that troops fire warning shots if people approach soldiers or behave suspiciously while gathering aid.
Israel has pushed to replace U.N.-coordinated deliveries with the GHF, arguing Hamas routinely diverts food and supplies to bolster its rule. The U.N. denies any systematic theft.
In response to criticism, Israel says it has made efforts to improve the organization of aid, including putting up fencing, new signage, and opening additional routes.
Escalation in Northern Gaza
In northern Gaza, Israeli strikes killed at least 10 Palestinians at a U.N. aid warehouse in Gaza City. Rescue workers said the area had become inaccessible to ambulances as bombardment intensified across the city and Jabaliya refugee camp.
Fares Awad, head of emergency services in northern Gaza, said most neighborhoods were cut off by continuous air and artillery attacks. “Ambulances can’t reach the people under the rubble,” he said.
Residents described the bombardment as a “scorched earth” campaign. “They destroy whatever is left standing,” said Mohamed Mahdy, a Gaza City resident who fled his damaged home.
Strike on Popular Gaza Beach Café
According to medics and eyewitnesses cited by the BBC, at least 20 Palestinians were killed Monday in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Baqa Cafeteria, a seafront café popular among journalists, aid workers, and residents.
“I was on my way to the café to use the internet when a massive explosion hit,” said Aziz Al-Afifi, a cameraman. “The scene was horrific—bodies, blood, screaming everywhere.”
Videos posted on social media showed the missile strike and its aftermath. The café, a makeshift venue of tents and tables on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast, had become a rare space for communication and respite.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the attack.
Wider Bombardment and Evacuations
The café strike was part of a wave of Israeli air raids overnight. Witnesses reported dozens of bombs falling on densely populated areas of Gaza City’s east, including Shujaiya, Tuffah, and Zeitoun.
One strike reportedly hit a school sheltering displaced families. Another airstrike on Al Shati refugee camp killed five people, according to local reports.
Residents said many families fled westward within Gaza City instead of south as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) instructed, fearing further attacks.
“This is the seventh time we’ve been forced to flee,” said Abeer Talba, a mother of seven. “We’re in the streets again. No food. No water. My children are starving. Death feels kinder than this.”
Ceasefire Prospects and Political Pressure
The fresh violence came as international pressure grew on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump said Netanyahu was negotiating a deal with Hamas “right now,” although talks remained stalled.
A ceasefire deal reached in January collapsed in March when Israel resumed airstrikes, later imposing a total blockade on humanitarian aid. The blockade was only partially lifted after 11 weeks, under pressure from U.S. allies and warnings of famine.
Since then, the GHF’s operations have repeatedly turned deadly as desperate crowds gather around aid trucks and distribution sites.
Rising Toll
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in response to the October attack that left about 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 hostages taken.
As bombardment continues and evacuation orders multiply, fears are growing that Israel plans to expand its ground offensive deeper into Gaza, risking even more civilian casualties.
