Key Points
- The total death toll in Gaza since 7 October 2023 has risen to 54,510
- Israel is accused of deliberately targeting starving civilians at aid distribution points
- UN called the killings around aid sites a war crime and urged an independent investigation
- At least 102 Palestinians have been killed and 490 injured at aid sites in eight days
- UN officials condemned Israel’s militarised aid delivery mechanism
GAZA CITY, Palestine: At least 58 Palestinians were killed and over 200 injured in the past 24 hours in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, pushing the overall death toll since October 7, 2023, to 54,510, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Medical sources said Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received 35 of the dead, including 27 civilians shot near an aid distribution site in Rafah.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah received six bodies, while al-Shifa Hospital and al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City reported 14 and three dead respectively.
One additional body was recovered from the rubble of a previous airstrike, the Health Ministry confirmed.
According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israel has killed 102 aid seekers and injured 490 others at aid points in Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor over the past eight days.
The Media Office accused Israel of “luring starving Palestinians to US-backed aid centres” only to open fire on them.
“These aid distribution sites have turned into mass bloodbaths,” the statement read, adding that the violence exposed the true intent of Israel’s militarised aid system.
27 killed near aid distribution site
At least 27 people were killed and over 90 injured earlier on Tuesday near an aid distribution site in the Al-Alam roundabout in Rafah.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP the deaths occurred when Israeli forces “opened fire with tanks and drones” as people approached a nearby aid site operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-backed entity managing aid distribution.
Witnesses confirmed the account. Mohammed al-Shaer, 44, told AFP that Israeli troops initially fired in the air before directly targeting civilians.
“A helicopter and drones fired to stop people from reaching the tank barrier. There were many injuries and deaths,” he said.
Another witness, Rania al-Astal, 30, said she went with her husband to collect food but was forced to flee when the shooting began around 5:00 am.
“People rushed forward all at once – that’s when the army began firing heavily,” she said.
The Israeli military claimed its forces fired “warning shots” when people “deviated from the designated access routes”.
‘Unconscionable’ and ‘war crime’
It added that further shots were aimed near people who continued to approach the troops. The army said it was “aware of reports regarding casualties” and was investigating the incident.
GHF stated that its operations continued safely on Tuesday, noting the shooting occurred “well beyond” its secure distribution zone. It advised civilians to stay within the designated safe corridors.
The United Nations strongly condemned the incident. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk described the attack as “unconscionable” and a “war crime”.
“Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza are unconscionable,” Turk said.
“Attacks directed against civilians constitute a grave breach of international law.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent investigation into the deadly incidents around aid sites.
“It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food,” he said.
International community must act
Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, said the international community must act.
“These are people facing starvation. Wilfully impeding access to food may also constitute a war crime,” he said as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Since Israel broke the ceasefire in March, it has killed 4,240 Palestinians and wounded 12,860, according to the Health Ministry.
Israel has faced growing criticism over its management of humanitarian access, with the UN and major aid groups refusing to collaborate with GHF, which they argue undermines humanitarian principles and prioritises Israeli military objectives.
Despite easing a months-long blockade, aid agencies insist that Israel must allow the faster entry of more supplies, warning that famine conditions persist across the besieged territory.
