A deadly Israeli shelling incident on Tuesday killed at least 51 Palestinians who had gathered to receive humanitarian aid in Khan Younis, Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported. Dozens more were wounded, including over 20 critically injured, as Israeli tanks reportedly fired into a crowd of civilians.
Witnesses said that at least two tank shells landed near aid distribution trucks where thousands had assembled. The strike led to chaos and overwhelmed medical services in the area.
Nasser Hospital, one of the few remaining functional health facilities in southern Gaza, struggled to accommodate the influx of casualties. With wards already filled, patients were treated on floors and in corridors, as medics raced to save lives with limited supplies.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have not issued a statement regarding the incident.
This latest tragedy follows similar deadly episodes. Just a day earlier, 23 Palestinians were shot dead near a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid site in Rafah. Israeli authorities have previously admitted firing near aid queues but often attribute such violence to clashes provoked by militants.
The GHF, which is supported by the United States and tasked by Israel with distributing aid under military protection, claims it has delivered over three million meals without incident. However, the United Nations has objected to the arrangement, arguing that it compromises neutrality and fails to adequately meet humanitarian needs.
The worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza is rooted in the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict following Hamas’s deadly 7 October 2023 assault, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel and led to the abduction of some 250 others.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has devastated the Gaza Strip. According to health officials in the enclave, nearly 55,000 people have been killed, with millions displaced and the population facing severe food shortages and infrastructure collapse.
The Israeli offensive has attracted legal action at major international courts, including allegations of war crimes and genocide. Israel has firmly denied any wrongdoing, asserting its right to self-defence against Hamas.
