In a devastating escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on crowds gathering around an aid convoy in Gaza City, killing at least 112 Palestinians and wounding over 700 others. The deadly incident marks one of the worst single-day death tolls in the conflict since October.
Chaos and Carnage at Food Distribution Point
Eyewitnesses describe scenes of horror as desperate civilians scrambled for food supplies in the pre-dawn hours. According to Palestinian officials, IDF troops fired indiscriminately into crowds gathered near the Kuwait roundabout, a known aid distribution point in northern Gaza where famine conditions now prevail.
The Israeli military offered conflicting accounts, initially claiming victims were trampled in a stampede before later acknowledging troops had fired on what they called "a threatening crowd." This version was swiftly contradicted by multiple eyewitnesses and hospital staff who reported treating primarily gunshot wounds.
International Outrage Grows
The attack has drawn sharp condemnation from global leaders:
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire
- French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the shootings as "unjustifiable"
- Saudi Arabia condemned "the targeting of unarmed civilians"
Medical facilities, already crippled by months of bombardment, struggled to cope with the influx of casualties. "We're using vinegar as disinfectant and operating without anesthesia," one doctor at Al-Shifa Hospital told reporters.
Aid Access Becomes Deadly Gamble
The tragedy highlights the extreme dangers facing civilians attempting to access humanitarian aid in Gaza, where:
- Over 2 million face acute food insecurity
- Child malnutrition rates now rival war zones like Yemen
- Only a trickle of aid convoys reach northern Gaza
With ceasefire talks stalled and Ramadan approaching, fears grow that the humanitarian catastrophe will deepen. As one survivor put it: "We came for flour and found death instead."
