| Online Desk : Dozens of Palestinians were killed or wounded on Monday as desperate crowds in Gaza rushed toward food distribution points and parachuted aid parcels, amid a deepening humanitarian crisis nearly 22 months into the war between Israel and Hamas.
According to witnesses and local health officials, the situation has become increasingly dire, with Israel`s blockade and military offensive making it nearly impossible to deliver aid safely. Although Israel recently introduced measures to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance, aid groups have deemed them inadequate. The fear of starvation now looms not only over ordinary civilians but also over the hostages still held by Hamas, some of whose families blame the militant group for obstructing aid.
The United Nations and local sources report that several hundred Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire while attempting to reach aid convoys since May. The Israeli military, however, claims it has only fired warning shots and disputes the death toll.
Risking lives for airdropped food
In recent weeks, countries have resorted to airdropping aid into Gaza. But humanitarian organizations and the U.N. say these operations are costly, inefficient, and often dangerous. Many aid packages land in the sea or in “red zones” designated as off-limits by the Israeli military, forcing civilians to risk their lives to retrieve basic supplies like flour.
On Monday, aid was airdropped over Zuweida in central Gaza. Associated Press footage showed hundreds of people sprinting toward the parcels, leading to chaotic scenes, including fistfights and the use of batons. One parcel reportedly landed on a tent sheltering displaced families, injuring a man who was hospitalized.
“I wish they would deliver it through the land crossings,” said Rabah Rabah, one of many waiting. “This is inhuman.”
Shootings at aid crossings
At least 16 people were killed and over 130 wounded late Sunday near the Zikim Crossing—the main Israeli entry point for aid into northern Gaza—according to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. While the exact circumstances remain unclear, witnesses blame Israeli gunfire for the casualties. The Israeli military has yet to comment.
Further south, at least 10 Palestinians were killed in the Morag Corridor between Khan Younis and Rafah, where thousands were waiting for aid. Eyewitness Mohammed al-Masri said Israeli forces opened fire after some young men tried to move to the front of the crowd. “They shot many people in the head and in the back,” he said.
Nasser Hospital reported receiving 10 bodies from Morag and five more from another site near a distribution center run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an Israeli-supported U.S. contractor. GHF denied any violent incidents and said crowd control measures, including occasional warning shots and pepper spray, have been used to prevent stampedes since opening four sites in May.
In the Israeli-controlled Netzarim Corridor, Al-Awda Hospital received eight bodies and treated 50 injuries following another distribution attempt. Witnesses and health officials accused Israeli forces of opening fire again. AP images from the scene showed civilians carrying bodies and sacks of aid.
“It’s like yesterday, and the day before,” said Ayman Ruqab, who had tried unsuccessfully for three days to reach aid. “It’s a death trap.”
The Israeli military claimed it had fired warning shots at individuals who posed a threat but said it was unaware of any casualties.
Mounting death toll in Gaza
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters stormed into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and taking 251 hostages. About 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with roughly 20 believed to be alive.
In response, Israel launched a massive military campaign across Gaza, which has now killed over 60,900 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but estimates that around half of the dead are women and children. The U.N. and independent experts continue to cite the ministry’s data as the most reliable available, though Israel disputes the figures and has not provided alternative numbers.
As Gaza edges closer to full-scale famine and aid efforts remain hampered by insecurity, the humanitarian situation is drawing increasing international concern—with no resolution in sight.
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