More than 80 Palestinians were killed and over 520 injured on Tuesday after Israeli occupation forces opened fire on crowds gathered near humanitarian aid trucks in southern and northern Gaza, according to a medical source at the Ministry of Health who spoke to Al Manassa.
This violence unfolded even as the Israeli military permitted more than 90 trucks carrying food, medical supplies, and commercial goods to enter Gaza.
However, witnesses told Al Manassa that what was meant to be a lifeline turned into a deadly trap.
According to a journalist on the scene, fewer than 50 trucks loaded with flour and food parcels had entered via the Morag Corridor, before being intercepted by desperate civilians and local gangs.
Israeli occupation forces then opened fire on crowds gathered around the trucks, killing and injuring tens. The injured were transported to Nasser Hospital and the Kuwait Field Hospital in Khan Younis using makeshift methods like donkey carts and Tuk-Tuks (auto rickshaws).
A medical source at Nasser Hospital told Al Manassa the facility received 35 bodies and around 350 injured people, most with gunshot wounds to the chest, back, and shoulders.
“Many of the wounded were in critical condition, breathing their last when they arrived,” the source said, adding that the hospital suffers from a severe shortage of medical supplies and blood units.
In northern Gaza, Israeli occupation forces fired on people waiting for food parcels at the Zikim crossing, killing at least 40 and injuring many others.
A witness told Al Manassa that Israeli occupation forces opened fire on civilians, killing and injuring dozens, with others run over by aid trucks as they passed through. They also noted that prices of essential food items have surged in local markets, rendering them unaffordable for most due to a lack of income.
A medical source at Al-Shifa Hospital confirmed receiving dozens of people wounded by Israeli fire.
Earlier today, one of the trucks carrying commercial goods overturned while crossing the Kissufim checkpoint in central Gaza, killing 20 Palestinians and injuring 24 others, according to a medical source at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
A witness told Al Manassa that a truck carrying commercial goods was carrying dozens of people when it overturned along the Kissufim road. “The street was packed with people, and the truck was moving at high speed. The driver lost control due to the rugged road and the truck flipped over with everyone on it,” the witness said, adding that even the driver didn’t survive.
Following the accident, the remaining trucks were accompanied by private security companies to deter theft and interception.
The trucks, a journalist on the scene told Al Manassa, carried items such as pasta, cheese, orzo, chips, cooking oil, rice, and sugar. The goods are expected to reach local markets in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced Tuesday a new plan to expand the entry of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza.
In a post on X, the agency said the goal was to reduce Gaza’s reliance on aid delivered by the UN and international organizations. COGAT said a limited number of local merchants would be allowed to import goods under strict security conditions.
Items allowed include basic food products, baby food, fruits and vegetables, and hygiene supplies. Payments for the purchase of these goods will be conducted via bank transfers only, under a monitoring and oversight mechanism.
“In cooperation with security agencies, we will continue to operate monitoring and oversight mechanisms for the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip, while taking all possible measures to prevent the involvement of Hamas in the processes of bringing in and distributing the aid,” COGAT added.
In March, Israel halted the second phase of a ceasefire deal it had agreed to in January that would have extended until the end of its war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023.
Amid a man-made famine, Palestinians in Gaza face near-daily bombardments by Israeli forces at aid distribution points. According to witnesses, these assaults—which include shootings, drone strikes, and cases where truck drivers were ordered to run over civilians seeking food—have killed hundreds.
