Israel Kills 25 Waiting for Aid in Gaza Strike, Death Toll Tops 56,000/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ At least 25 Palestinians were killed when Israeli forces opened fire on crowds waiting for food aid in central Gaza. The incident is the latest in a series of deadly confrontations near aid delivery sites. Palestinian officials say the Gaza death toll has surpassed 56,000 since the war began.
Israel Kills 25 Waiting for Aid in Gaza Strike: Quick Looks
- Israeli tanks and drones opened fire on civilians awaiting aid in central Gaza
- 25 killed, over 140 wounded in Deir al-Balah and Nuseirat, many critically
- Eyewitnesses report drones firing directly at fleeing civilians
- Incident occurred near the Netzarim corridor, a key aid route
- Health officials say Gaza’s war death toll has surpassed 56,000
- More than 5,700 killed since fighting resumed in March
- Israel claims it targets militants and uses warning shots; Palestinians dispute
- Over half of the dead are women and children, according to Gaza health data
Israel Kills 25 Waiting for Aid in Gaza Strike, Death Toll Tops 56,000
Deep Look
Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip — June 24, 2025
Tensions in Gaza surged again Tuesday after Israeli forces opened fire on hundreds of Palestinians waiting at a food distribution site in central Gaza. The deadly attack, which witnesses describe as a “massacre,” killed at least 25 civilians and wounded over 140 others.
The gunfire erupted near the Netzarim corridor—a key military-controlled road that separates northern and southern Gaza—as aid trucks approached a newly opened food-distribution center. The facility is part of a U.S.-backed effort to deliver humanitarian relief amid spiraling food insecurity and civilian suffering.
Civilians Caught in Crossfire
Eyewitnesses painted a harrowing picture of the scene. Ahmed Halawa, a survivor, said, “It was a massacre… tanks and drones fired even as we were fleeing.”
Another man, Hossam Abu Shahada, described drones surveilling the crowd before opening fire. “It was chaotic and bloody,” he said, noting that many people fell as they ran for safety.
Footage from the aftermath showed wounded civilians—many of them elderly or children—being rushed into overcrowded hospitals in central Gaza.
Hospitals Overwhelmed
The Awda Hospital in Nuseirat received most of the casualties, reporting 25 deaths and 146 injuries. Of those, at least 62 were in critical condition and transferred to other facilities. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in nearby Deir al-Balah confirmed it received six bodies from the same incident.
Doctors reported that many of the injured suffered shrapnel wounds consistent with drone or tank munitions. Medical supplies remain stretched thin amid ongoing blockades and restricted aid flow.
Conflicting Narratives
Palestinian health officials and witnesses accuse Israeli forces of repeatedly targeting civilians attempting to collect food. They claim hundreds have died in similar aid-line incidents over recent weeks.
The Israeli military, while acknowledging it fired during the incident, claims only warning shots were used to disperse large crowds deemed “suspicious.” Officials say a review of the incident is underway.
The military has often cited Hamas’ alleged use of civilian areas for cover as justification for operations. But humanitarian observers and aid workers have raised concerns about the repeated targeting of vulnerable populations.
Humanitarian Toll Mounts
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, over 56,000 people have died in Gaza since Israel launched its military operation in response to Hamas’ surprise October 7, 2023, attack. The current death toll includes 5,759 killed since the most recent wave of fighting began on March 18, following a brief ceasefire.
The ministry also reports over 131,000 wounded, with more than half of the fatalities identified as women and children. Israel disputes the casualty figures, claiming over 20,000 of the dead were Hamas fighters, although it has not publicly provided evidence to support this.
Meanwhile, Hamas has not released casualty numbers from its side.
War’s Origins and Status
The ongoing conflict began after Hamas launched a large-scale assault on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Many of those hostages have since been released through temporary ceasefire deals, but the wider war shows no signs of resolution.
Israel maintains that it targets only militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas’ tactics of operating in densely populated areas. But with tens of thousands of civilian lives lost and humanitarian conditions worsening, international scrutiny continues to grow.
As aid groups and foreign governments push for renewed ceasefires, the scale of suffering in Gaza underscores the urgent need for a lasting resolution.
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