The UN reports at least 28 Palestinians were killed and hundreds injured while attempting to receive aid in southern Gaza on Thursday.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said 51 people were killed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) opening fire on crowds attempting to access food from an aid truck in Khan Younis.
The IDF confirmed it’s investigating the incident, saying it was “aware of reports regarding a number of injured individuals from IDF fire following the crowd’s approach” to an aid truck.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
After a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas broke down earlier this year, Israel instituted an aid blockade to Gaza. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu partially lifted the blockade a month ago following international criticism.
Aid is currently being distributed by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a non-government organisation with U.S. and Israeli support.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports Gaza's entire 2.1 million population faces prolonged food shortages.
The GHF says its aid centres are secured by private U.S. contractors and monitored by the IDF, which it says is to prevent aid theft by Hamas.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports 397 Palestinians have been killed while trying to receive aid since late May.
The IDF has denied playing a role in some of those shootings and said it is investigating others.
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WHO representative Dr Rik Peeperkorn said overnight: “Recent food distribution initiatives by non-UN actors every time result in mass casualty incidents.”
This week
Witnesses cited by Reuters and the Gaza Health Ministry say Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians attempting to access aid trucks in Khan Younis on Thursday.
The Ministry reported 51 deaths, while the UN confirmed at least 28 killed and hundreds injured.
Multiple witnesses told Reuters that IDF tanks fired at crowds approaching the aid trucks.
The GHF has told U.S. media the attack was not near any of its aid distribution sites.
IDF response
In a statement, the IDF said it was “aware of reports regarding a number of injured individuals from IDF fire” around the aid truck in Khan Younis.
A spokesperson said the IDF would review the incident, and it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals” killed or injured on Thursday, and “operates to minimise harm”.
Last week, the IDF released documents it says are internal Hamas records that detail the group “systematically exploiting” the entry of aid to fund its activities, including selling stolen aid to civilians. Hamas denies this.
