In Gaza, 93 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured on Sunday when Israeli troops opened fire on civilians trying to collect humanitarian aid. Most deaths happened in the northern part of Gaza, where trucks carrying food had just arrived. Others were killed near Rafah and Khan Yunis, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said one of its convoys, carrying 25 trucks of food, was caught in the chaos. Thousands of desperate civilians gathered around, and the crowd came under live gunfire near Gaza City. Israeli forces claimed they only fired warning shots to push back the crowd, calling it a security threat.
But eyewitnesses described a horrifying scene. One survivor said snipers fired at people “like animals in a forest” as tanks also shelled the area. Dozens died on the spot, and many bodies were left in the street. The WFP condemned the violence, saying targeting aid-seeking civilians is “completely unacceptable.”
The humanitarian crisis is also sparking global concern. Israel withdrew the visa of a top UN humanitarian official, accusing him of bias. This came shortly after Pope Leo XIV condemned Israeli strikes on Gaza, including a recent attack on the Holy Family Church. That strike killed three people sheltering inside. On Sunday, Gaza’s Catholic Patriarch held mass at the church in a powerful show of support.
Meanwhile, Israel ordered fresh evacuations from Deir el-Balah, forcing thousands of already displaced people to flee again. The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs said over 2.1 million people—almost all of Gaza—are now squeezed into just 12% of the land. Aid groups warn that Gaza’s lifelines are collapsing, and civilians are running out of places to go.