Israeli gunfire kills at least 50 in Gaza, many trying to reach food

At least 50 people were killed by Israeli gunfire on Monday, with nearly half the fatalities occurring near an aid distribution site operated by the U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to the Gaza Health Ministry. 

The incident drew strong criticism from U.N. officials, who condemned the Israeli-backed aid delivery model as unsafe and inadequate.

Medical personnel reported that at least 23 people were killed and 200 injured near a distribution point in Rafah. The shooting is the latest in a series of deadly incidents targeting Palestinians attempting to access food since Israel implemented a new aid system following a partial easing of a three-month total blockade.

Under this new framework, Israel has delegated much of the aid distribution to the GHF, which operates three sites in zones secured by Israeli forces. However, the United Nations has rejected the initiative, stating it undermines humanitarian neutrality and fails to meet basic needs.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to reports of Monday's violence. In previous similar episodes, it has acknowledged firing near aid sites but blamed militant activity for triggering the clashes.

In a statement issued late Monday, GHF claimed it had delivered over 3 million meals across its four locations without incident.

At Nasser Hospital, grieving families gathered to mourn the victims. Women and children wept over the shrouded bodies of the deceased.

“We went there to get food for our children, but it turned into a trap—a massacre. My advice: don’t go,” said Ahmed Fayad, a survivor of the attack.

Aid Delivery Under Fire

Later the same day, local health authorities reported that Israeli forces shot and killed at least five more people and wounded dozens along Gaza’s coastal road, where large crowds had assembled to await U.N.-funded aid trucks entering northern Gaza. Witnesses said many in the crowd looted four aid trucks in desperation.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), posted on X: “Scores of people have been killed & injured in the past days, including starving people trying to get some food from a lethal distribution system.”

Before the GHF’s involvement, humanitarian assistance in Gaza was primarily coordinated by U.N. agencies like UNRWA, which operate hundreds of distribution sites and employ thousands of local workers.

Israel argues that tighter control is necessary to prevent Hamas from seizing aid supplies, a claim the militant group denies, accusing Israel of weaponizing starvation.

Lazzarini noted that restrictions on U.N. humanitarian operations remain in place, despite the availability of substantial aid supplies awaiting entry into Gaza.

On Sunday, Israel’s military aid coordination body, COGAT, reported facilitating the entry of 292 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies, including food and flour, from international donors and the U.N. into Gaza. Israel has stated it will continue allowing aid entry while ensuring it does not benefit Hamas.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 300 people have been killed and over 2,600 injured near aid sites since the GHF began operating. Just one day earlier, at least five people died as thousands converged on GHF locations in central and southern Gaza.

The GHF said it resumed food distribution on Sunday, successfully delivering over 2 million meals across three sites without incident.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

The ongoing war in Gaza began 20 months ago, following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and saw 251 hostages taken, marking Israel’s deadliest day in history.

Since then, Israeli military operations have killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials. Much of the enclave has been reduced to rubble, with mass displacement and severe malnutrition affecting large portions of the population.