Deadly blast and gunfire at Gaza aid site kills dozens as humanitarian crisis deepens

At least 32 Palestinians were killed and over 70 injured after Israeli forces opened fire near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza early Saturday, witnesses and hospital officials confirmed. The incident, which took place near Khan Younis and Rafah, highlights the growing dangers faced by civilians seeking basic necessities amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

The victims had gathered near a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution hub — a food relief effort backed by the U.S. and Israel, intended to replace the traditional UN-led aid system. Though the Israeli army claims it fired only warning shots when suspects approached troops overnight, eyewitnesses described the gunfire as indiscriminate and deadly.

“They encircled us and started firing directly at us,” said Akram Aker, who survived the shooting. Another witness, Sanaa al-Jaberi, questioned the brutal crackdown: “Is this food or death? Why do they only shoot us?”

Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received 25 bodies, while another 7 people were confirmed dead in Rafah, including a woman. Dr. Mohamed Saker, the hospital’s nursing chief, said most injuries involved gunshots to the head and chest. Due to a severe lack of medical supplies, patients, including children, were treated on the floor.

GHF denied any violence near its sites and reiterated warnings against approaching distribution points during overnight hours. However, Saturday’s events raise concerns about the safety of aid seekers, especially since GHF hubs are located in Israeli-controlled military zones.

The blast and gunfire came amid a broader escalation of Israeli airstrikes across the region. In Gaza City, two civilians were killed when an airstrike hit a tent sheltering displaced families. Central Gaza’s Al-Awda Hospital reported 12 more deaths from a separate strike, including police official Omar Aqel, two children, and five women — all from the same family.

Other strikes in Bureij, Salah El Din Street, Sheikh Radwan, and Tal al-Hawa killed at least 10 more people, according to local hospitals and emergency responders.

Israel’s military confirmed it struck around 90 targets in Gaza within 24 hours but provided no specific comments on individual incidents.

More than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military offensive following the Hamas-led October 7 attack. The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas but recognized by the UN as the main source of casualty data, says women and children make up over half of the deaths.

The chaotic aid distribution scenes, with desperate civilians swarming boxes of food, reflect a deeper collapse of civilian life in Gaza. Over 2 million residents face severe shortages of food, water, and medicine as the war continues with no truce in sight.

Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in Qatar have so far failed to produce any breakthroughs. At a rally in Tel Aviv, families of Israeli hostages demanded an immediate deal to bring the remaining captives home and end the war.