Israel’s military strikes have killed dozens of Palestinians at aid distribution centers in Gaza, with the Ministry of Health reporting at least 549 people killed while seeking humanitarian assistance since late May.
At a Glance
- At least 549 Palestinians have been killed attempting to access food aid in the past four weeks.
- In the deadliest single day, 47 were killed during attacks on June 27.
- Israeli forces have killed over 70 people near Khan Younis aid sites in recent weeks.
- Eyewitnesses report tank shelling and live fire used on civilians waiting for food.
- The IDF has opened internal investigations but denies top-level authorization.
Deadliest Day as Aid Deaths Mount
According to Al Jazeera, at least 47 Palestinians were killed on June 27 as Israeli strikes hit crowds gathered at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid centers. These attacks followed a series of earlier incidents in Khan Younis, where Israeli tank and drone assaults killed more than 70 people at distribution sites.
On June 17, another mass killing saw 59 Palestinians die in a tank shelling episode while awaiting food—a scene that The Guardian described as “horrific and chaotic,” citing on-site medics and civilians.
Long-Term Toll and UN Alarm
Gaza’s Government Media Office states that since May 25, at least 549 civilians have been killed and over 4,000 wounded while seeking aid—many of them children. Another 39 remain unaccounted for. Human rights groups now describe the aid hubs as “death traps,” with repeated strikes at clearly marked humanitarian centers. UN officials have condemned the incidents and are urging independent international investigations.
Reports from AP and Hurriyet Daily News confirm that multiple air and ground strikes occurred within known aid distribution times, with few warnings and no clear evacuation corridors in place.
Military Investigations and Global Fallout
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed they are probing some of the shootings but insist there was “no order from above” to target civilians. According to Times of Israel, individual actions may be blamed on rogue units or battlefield chaos. Yet survivors and aid workers point to repeated, patterned assaults that suggest systemic failures in engagement protocol.
With global pressure mounting, humanitarian corridors remain volatile and underused. Israel’s allies are facing increasing calls to suspend arms transfers and reassess aid strategies.
As Gaza’s population faces starvation, the world’s focus is shifting to accountability: how and why hundreds have died while reaching for food—and what must change to stop the killings.
