GAZA: At least 25 Palestinians were killed Tuesday in two separate incidents in Gaza — one involving gunfire at an aid distribution point, the other in an airstrike on a residential home.
Health officials in Gaza said gunshots rang out near a food distribution line in the north, where hundreds had gathered early in the day. “It was calm until it wasn’t,” said one eyewitness, a volunteer helping with food parcels. “Then people screamed. Some fell to the ground. It was chaos.”
Sixteen people died at that site, according to local medical staff. Dozens more were injured. Most of the victims were unarmed civilians waiting for basic aid supplies.
The Israeli military has not yet publicly addressed the incident. In the past, officials have stated that operations are aimed at militants, not civilians — a claim frequently disputed by rights groups.
In a second, unrelated attack, an Israeli airstrike struck a home in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp. Nine people, including four children, were killed. The house reportedly sheltered displaced families who had nowhere else to go.
“There was no warning,” said a neighbor. “We heard the blast, and the entire building was just rubble. Children were trapped inside. We pulled out who we could.”
Emergency crews and residents spent hours digging with bare hands and shovels to retrieve bodies. The scene was described as one of the deadliest strikes in recent days.
Humanitarian workers say Gaza is sinking deeper into crisis. With basic supplies running out and access to aid blocked in several regions, fears of famine and disease are rising.
Global organizations have placed out calls for people to exercise restraint. The United Nations renewed calls for the establishment of safe zones for humanitarian access and a stop to all attacks in areas known to host civilians.
More than 1 million Gazans are currently displaced from homes, most are living in crowded shelters or informal camps. Total casualties continue to rise as the conflict is still ongoing.
