Dozens Killed in Gaza Strikes as Food Aid Sites Become Scenes of Bloodshed

Dozens Killed in Gaza Strikes as Food Aid Sites Become Scenes of Bloodshed
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Israeli airstrikes and gunfire killed at least 74 Palestinians on Monday, according to local health officials and witnesses, in one of the deadliest days in recent weeks amid Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis. In Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike struck Al-Baqa Café, a seaside spot that had offered residents a place to charge phones and connect to the internet as much of the enclave remains in blackout. The strike hit without warning, survivors told reporters, describing the explosion as shaking the building like an earthquake.

At least 30 people, many of them women and children, were killed in the café strike alone, with dozens more wounded, many critically, according to Fares Awad, head of the Health Ministry’s emergency services in northern Gaza. Two additional airstrikes on a city street killed 15 more people, while six died in a separate strike on a building near the town of Zawaida, hospital officials reported.

In southern Gaza, witnesses said Israeli forces shot dead 23 Palestinians who had been trying to collect desperately needed food aid. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis confirmed receiving the bodies of 11 people who were shot while returning from an aid distribution site linked to the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF).

According to health officials, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed near aid sites in the past month alone, underlining the chaos surrounding the controversial program. Witnesses said people returning from the GHF site came under artillery fire about three kilometers from the aid hub. The Israeli military said it was reviewing details of the incidents. In past statements, it has said troops may fire warning shots if they suspect threats near aid convoys or security perimeters.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 56,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023. Israel continues its operations, calling them essential to dismantle Hamas, while the civilian toll mounts, amid deteriorating humanitarian and economic conditions.