GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (BN24) — At least 17 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured by Israeli gunfire Tuesday near a humanitarian aid distribution site in central Gaza, according to local health officials. The shooting occurred as thousands of displaced civilians gathered in the early hours near a location operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
The casualties were transported to Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat camp and Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, health authorities said. The incident, one of the deadliest in recent days involving aid seekers, underscored growing desperation among Gaza’s displaced population amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The Israeli military confirmed its forces had opened fire, stating the shots were aimed at “suspects” in the Wadi Gaza area who allegedly posed a threat. It said the warning shots were fired “hundreds of meters from the aid distribution site, prior to its opening hours” and claimed the reported casualty figures did not align with its intelligence. The military has previously accused Hamas militants of exploiting aid convoys to launch attacks and disrupt distribution efforts.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates under U.S. support, said the shooting occurred hours before aid was scheduled to be distributed. “This incident happened several hours before we began operations outside of our distribution site,” the group said, redirecting further inquiries to the Israeli military. The foundation reported that deliveries proceeded without incident at three separate sites across southern and central Gaza on Tuesday.
However, witnesses and aid recipients painted a grim picture of chaos surrounding the aid sites, with long journeys, limited supplies, and growing violence. “I went there at 2 a.m. hoping to get some food,” said Mohammad Abu Amr, a 40-year-old father of two. “Dozens of thousands arrive from central and northern areas, some walking over 20 kilometers, only to return empty-handed.” He said he heard gunfire but did not witness the shooting itself.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini criticized the current aid model, describing it as unsafe and degrading. “Day after day, casualties & scores of injured are reported at distribution points manned by Israel & private security companies,” he wrote on X. He urged for food aid to be managed solely by the United Nations, citing the agency’s experience, infrastructure, and community trust. Israel has called for UNRWA to be dismantled, alleging ties to Hamas — accusations the agency denies.
Tuesday’s violence contributed to a mounting death toll in Gaza, where Israeli strikes also killed at least eight people in a separate attack on a house in Deir al-Balah, health authorities said. The day’s total fatalities reached at least 25. The Israeli military said it intercepted a rocket fired from northern Gaza, suggesting Hamas and allied groups retain some launching capabilities despite months of Israeli bombardment.
In northern Gaza, food insecurity escalated as looters, including desperate civilians, seized at least 40 trucks carrying flour near Gaza City’s Nabulsi roundabout. The U.N. has warned of looming famine in the besieged enclave, home to 2.3 million people. Although Israel resumed limited U.N.-led operations on May 19 following an 11-week blockade, humanitarian officials continue to describe the aid reaching Gaza as “a drop in the ocean.”
The conflict, now in its ninth month, erupted after Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people and abducted 251 others during an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 — the deadliest single day in Israel’s history. In response, Israel launched a massive military campaign that has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to health officials in Gaza. Much of the coastal territory has since been reduced to rubble.
