Israeli Troops Open Fire Near Gaza Food Site, Killing Dozens

Israeli troops shot and killed at least 27 Palestinians near a new food distribution site in southern Gaza on Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, per the New York Times. The Washington Post reports that number is 31. Dozens more were wounded. The Israeli military said the gunfire, which started around 4am local time, was aimed near "a few" people it referred to as "suspects" who'd left the designated route to the food site and hadn't responded to warning shots, per the Times. Officials said these individuals "posed a threat," though details weren't provided. Witnesses tell the AP that the gunfire was "indiscriminate" and came "from all directions."

It's the latest in a series of violent episodes tied to a new aid distribution system in Gaza. The same site saw at least 23 killed last Sunday, and there were earlier incidents last week. The current approach, managed by the privately run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and using American contractors, replaced a broader UN-run system and concentrates food distribution at a few sites in Israeli-occupied areas. Aid agencies say the new approach puts civilians at risk by forcing them to travel miles, often near military lines, and limits access compared to the 400 distribution points previously operated by the UN. Doctors Without Borders and other groups have criticized the new setup as dangerous and "severely ineffective," per the Times.

Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, located near the shooting, received many of the victims—most reportedly children between 10 and 13—despite facing severe shortages of supplies like sterile gauze. Israel defends the system as a way to prevent Hamas from diverting aid. Some Israeli officials claim Hamas is trying to undermine the new distribution method to regain control over food supplies. The Israeli military, meanwhile, says it's reviewing the incident. "We'd rather die than deal with this," one Gaza local, who ended up scooping rice and pasta off the ground in desperation once she got to the food distribution site, tells the AP. "Death is more dignified than what's happening to us." (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)