The Nasser hospital in southern Gaza has reported that 24 individuals lost their lives near an aid distribution area as desperate Palestinians attempted to obtain food and supplies. Eyewitnesses assert that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) opened fire on civilians on Saturday. In contrast, the IDF claims there were “no known injured individuals” from their gunfire. An Israeli military representative mentioned that warning shots were issued to disperse a crowd perceived as a threat. However, these contradicting reports have not yet been independently verified due to restrictions preventing international news organizations from entering Gaza.
Footage retrieved by the BBC shortly after the incident revealed several body bags lined up in the courtyard of Nasser hospital, surrounded by medical staff and individuals in blood-stained clothing. In a separate video, a bystander recounted that gunfire rained down for approximately five minutes as people awaited aid. A paramedic accused Israeli soldiers of cold-blooded killings. Reuters has documented accounts highlighting civilians being shot in the head and torso, as well as verified reports of bodies covered in white wraps at the hospital.
The region has witnessed nearly daily casualties linked to Israeli gunfire, particularly as people seek sustenance. Israel instituted a total blockade on aid delivery to the Gaza Strip in March, later renewing military actions against Hamas after a ceasefire fell apart, to pressure the group into releasing Israeli hostages. While the blockade was slightly eased in late May, experts have raised alarms over impending famine, leaving severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.
UNRWA, the agency serving Palestinian refugees, reports an alarming number of malnourished children within Gaza, with conditions worsening day by day. To address the humanitarian crisis, Israel and the US established a new aid distribution system overseen by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), aiming to deter Hamas from pilfering aid supplies. However, the UN human rights office revealed that it had documented 798 killings connected to aid efforts, with the majority occurring around GHF sites, which are managed by US private security contractors in military zones across southern and central Gaza.
The Israeli military acknowledged that civilians have been harmed in past incidents and committed to working towards minimizing friction with the population. Conversely, the GHF criticized the UN for allegedly disseminating misleading data alongside accusations of falsehoods from former security contractors who claimed to have witnessed unnecessary gunfire against unarmed civilians.
Since the onset of significant military operations following Hamas' cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages, Gaza has faced catastrophic losses, with at least 57,823 casualties recorded by the Hamas-run health ministry.
