At least 50 Palestinians were killed on Monday in Gaza, with many losing their lives while desperately trying to access food. Nearly half of the deaths occurred near an aid distribution point operated by the U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The growing death toll and chaos around aid deliveries have drawn sharp criticism from the United Nations, which condemned the system as dangerous and inhumane.
The deadliest scene unfolded in Rafah, where Israeli gunfire struck a crowd near a GHF aid station. Medical personnel reported that 23 people died on the spot, and over 200 others sustained injuries. This marks another in a string of tragic incidents that have seen hundreds of Palestinians killed while attempting to collect food supplies since Israel eased a near-total blockade and introduced a new aid distribution plan.
Under the new system, Israel shifted responsibility for distributing much of the incoming aid to GHF—a newly formed, U.S.-backed group operating under Israeli military protection. However, the United Nations has rejected the GHF model, arguing that it lacks safety, transparency, and humanitarian neutrality.
The Israeli military has not issued a statement regarding the shootings on Monday. In earlier cases, it has claimed that militants were responsible for initiating violence near aid zones, prompting troops to open fire.
Despite the chaos, GHF claimed in a statement that it had successfully distributed more than 3 million meals without any incidents at its four operational sites.
However, survivors tell a different story.
“We went there thinking we would get food to feed our children,” said Ahmed Fayad, a grieving father. “It turned out to be a trap—a massacre. My advice: don’t go there.”
Later that day, five more people were reportedly killed when Israeli forces opened fire on civilians gathered near the coastal road, awaiting aid trucks funded by the United Nations. Witnesses say the crowd, driven by hunger and desperation, looted several truckloads of food.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), posted on X: “Scores of people have been killed & injured in the past days, including starving people trying to get some food from a lethal distribution system.”
Before the GHF was introduced, aid distribution in Gaza was largely managed by U.N. agencies like UNRWA, which have deep infrastructure and thousands of staff on the ground. Israel claims the shift was necessary because Hamas was allegedly diverting supplies—an accusation Hamas denies, saying Israel is using hunger as a weapon of war.
Despite GHF’s recent resumption of aid operations, UNRWA insists that Israel continues to block U.N. agencies from moving massive stockpiles of aid into the region.
The Israeli military says it allowed 292 aid trucks into Gaza this week, carrying food and flour from international organizations, while asserting that it prevents supplies from falling into the hands of militants.
Before Monday’s violence, Gaza’s health authorities reported that more than 300 people had died and over 2,600 had been wounded near GHF aid stations since the group began operations. Just a day earlier, five people were killed near distribution sites in central and southern Gaza.
The Gaza conflict began in October 2023, after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages in a surprise raid. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has claimed nearly 55,000 Palestinian lives—mostly civilians—and devastated the region. Millions are displaced, and hunger has become a daily battle for survival.
