GAZA CITY – At least 46 Palestinians lost their lives on Tuesday as Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on civilians waiting for aid in Gaza, further fueling global outrage.
According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, 21 people were killed and over 150 injured near an aid point in central Gaza, while another 25 died in a separate incident in the south. The victims were reportedly queuing for rations distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a privately-run, US- and Israeli-backed aid group.
Paramedics described overwhelming conditions in local hospitals. “Every day we face this scenario: martyrs and injuries in unbearable numbers,” said Ziad Farhat, a paramedic at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. He warned that hospitals can no longer accommodate the rising number of casualties.
Meanwhile, international criticism continues to mount against the GHF system. The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) labeled the aid process an “abomination,” while the UN human rights office condemned what it called the “weaponisation of food” — warning that denying access to life-saving aid constitutes a war crime.
Witnesses from central Gaza reported chaos and fear as Israeli troops allegedly fired live ammunition and tank shells into a crowd of over 50,000 people near the Netzarim corridor. The Israeli military stated that the situation is “under review” but claimed the gathering occurred adjacent to troop positions.
As pressure builds on Israeli leadership to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, calls have intensified following a recent truce with Iran. Opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to “end the war and bring back the hostages.” The ongoing conflict has already claimed over 56,000 Palestinian lives, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.