AT LEAST 85 PALESTINIANS KILLED WHILE TRYING TO REACH AID IN GAZA
At least 85 Palestinians have been killed and over 150 injured in a tragic incident in northern Gaza after a crowd of civilians attempting to reach desperately needed humanitarian aid came under fire, according to Palestinian health officials and international observers. The mass casualty event unfolded near a humanitarian aid drop site in Gaza City, further intensifying international condemnation of the ongoing conflict and raising urgent questions about the safety of humanitarian operations in the region.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic and horrifying scene as thousands of civilians, many suffering from hunger and exhaustion, gathered in hopes of receiving food, water, and medical supplies. The crowd had reportedly converged on a convoy of trucks carrying aid organized by international relief agencies, when gunfire erupted. Witnesses claim Israeli forces opened fire on the crowd, while Israeli officials contend that chaos broke out due to crowd surges and panic, possibly triggered by gunfire from unidentified militants in the area.
Videos circulating on social media — verified by several international media outlets — show bodies lying in the streets and others frantically trying to carry the wounded to makeshift clinics and hospitals, many of which are already overwhelmed and under-resourced. The dead include women, children, and elderly individuals, according to local medical sources.
The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, has accused Israeli forces of “deliberately targeting starving civilians,” labeling the incident a “massacre.” Hamas political leaders have called on the international community to intervene immediately and halt what they describe as Israel’s “systematic starvation and slaughter” of the Palestinian population.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement denying intentional targeting of civilians. According to the IDF, troops were stationed near the area to secure the delivery of humanitarian aid when “a stampede occurred” as crowds surged toward the trucks, leading to injuries and chaos. The IDF claims some individuals in the crowd posed a threat and that warning shots were fired. Israeli officials have said they are conducting a full investigation.
International reaction has been swift and condemning. The United Nations, through its Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), described the incident as “unconscionable,” stressing that civilians must never be harmed while seeking aid. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate independent investigation and reiterated calls for an urgent ceasefire.
Human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have demanded accountability and urged world powers to intervene to ensure protection for civilians and aid workers. “This is a humanitarian failure of the gravest proportions,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty. “These people were not fighters — they were starving civilians trying to survive.”
The United States, European Union, and several Arab nations have called for greater guarantees to protect humanitarian corridors and ensure that aid reaches those in need without further bloodshed.
As Gaza teeters on the brink of famine, this deadly incident underscores the dire conditions facing civilians trapped in the conflict. With food, water, and medicine running out, the cost of inaction is now counted not only in suffering — but in lives lost while simply trying to stay alive.