GAZA CITY, Palestine: At least 89 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Tuesday, including more than 70 people killed while waiting for humanitarian aid in Khan Younis, Gaza’s health ministry said.
The most deadly incident occurred along the main eastern road in southern Khan Younis, where witnesses and medics said Israeli tanks fired shells at crowds gathered for aid trucks.
The ministry said more than 70 people were killed and over 200 wounded in the strike.
“There were bodies strewn in the streets. People were attacked while waiting for aid and flour to arrive,” said survivor Awad Barbakh. “People are hungry and desperate — they just wanted food.”
Witness Saeed Abu Lebda described the aftermath as “horrific”, saying, “Civilians were blown to pieces, body parts were scattered all over the place. The number of victims is likely much higher, but no one could reach them to help.”
The Israeli military has not issued a statement on the incident. Local media reported that Israeli tanks fired at least two shells at the gathering, though this could not be independently verified.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis was overwhelmed with casualties. A statement by the Gaza health ministry said emergency wards, intensive care units and operating theatres were overcrowded, with patients being treated on the floor and in corridors.
The attack occurred near a humanitarian aid distribution point operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is backed by the United States and Israel and located in an area under Israeli control.
Critics have referred to such locations as “human slaughterhouses” due to repeated attacks near aid sites.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it had received reports of a mass casualty incident linked to food distribution efforts.
“Initial reports suggest at least 20 fatalities,” said Thanos Gargavanis, a WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer. “There is a constant correlation between food distribution sites and mass casualty incidents.”
The Gaza health ministry earlier said that 51 people had been killed aid distribution site in Khan Younis.
The injuries reported in recent days have primarily resulted from gunshot wounds, according to the WHO.
Since Israel launched its military campaign in October 2023, at least 55,432 Palestinians — mostly women and children — have been killed, with 128,923 others wounded, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Since Israel resumed its offensive in March following a brief ceasefire, at least 5,139 people have been killed and 16,882 injured.
In response to the rising civilian toll, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) called on the European Union to take immediate action.
In a letter to EU leaders and foreign ministers, MSF demanded pressure on Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza and end what it described as the “slaughter” of the civilian population.
MSF said blocking aid on security grounds amounted to “collective punishment — a war crime.”
The group also urged more medical evacuations, stating that around 13,000 people, including 4,500 children, urgently need treatment outside Gaza.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also condemned Israel’s conduct. In remarks reported by Al Jazeera, he said: “Israel’s means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza.”
“Israel has weaponised food and blocked lifesaving aid. I urge immediate, impartial investigations into deadly attacks on desperate civilians attempting to reach food distribution centres,” he added, also criticising what he called “disturbing, dehumanising rhetoric” from senior Israeli officials.
