Israeli tanks kill 59 people in Gaza crowd trying to get food aid, medics say
Video shared on social media showed around a dozen mangled bodies lying in a street in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military, at war with Hamas-led Palestinian militants in Gaza since October 2023, acknowledged firing in the area and said it was looking into the incident.
Witnesses interviewed by Reuters said Israeli tanks had launched at least two shells at a crowd of thousands who had gathered on the main eastern road through Khan Younis in the hope of obtaining food from aid trucks that use the route.
"All of a sudden, they let us move forward and made everyone gather, and then shells started falling, tank shells," said Alaa, an eyewitness, interviewed by Reuters at Nasser Hospital, where wounded victims lay sprawled on the floor and in corridors due to the lack of space.
"No one is looking at these people with mercy. The people are dying, they are being torn apart, to get food for their children. Look at these people, all these people are torn to get flour to feed their children."
Palestinian medics said at least 59 people were killed and 221 wounded in the incident, at least 20 of them in critical condition. Casualties were being rushed into the hospital in civilian cars, rickshaws and donkey carts. It was the worst death toll in a single day since aid resumed in Gaza in May.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said: "Earlier today, a gathering was identified adjacent to an aid distribution truck that got stuck in the area of Khan Younis, and in proximity to IDF troops operating in the area.
"The IDF is aware of reports regarding a number of injured individuals from IDF fire following the crowd's approach. The details of the incident are under review. The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and operates to minimise harm as much as possible to them while maintaining the safety of our troops."
Medics said at least 14 other people were also killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes elsewhere in the densely populated enclave, taking Tuesday's overall death toll to at least 73.
The health ministry said 397 Palestinians, among those trying to get food aid, had been killed and more than 3,000 were wounded since late May.
The incident was the latest in nearly daily large-scale killings of Palestinians seeking aid in the three weeks since Israel partially lifted a total blockade on the territory it had imposed for nearly three months.
Israel has been channelling much of the aid it is now allowing into Gaza through a new US- and Israeli-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates a handful of distribution sites in areas guarded by Israeli forces.
"The incident in question did not occur at a GHF site, but rather near a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) location," the foundation said of the incident on Tuesday.
The United Nations rejects the GHF delivery system as inadequate, dangerous and a violation of humanitarian impartiality rules. Israel says it is needed to prevent Hamas fighters from diverting aid, which Hamas denies.
Gaza authorities say hundreds of Palestinians have been killed trying to reach GHF sites.
The GHF said in a press release late on Monday that it had distributed more than three million meals at its four distribution sites without incident.
The Gaza war was triggered in October 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli allies. Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, while displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million and causing a hunger crisis.
Since last week, Gaza Palestinians have kept an eye on the new air war between Israel and Iran, which has long been a major supporter of Hamas.
Gaza residents have circulated images of buildings in Israel wrecked by Iranian missiles, some saying they are happy to see Israelis experiencing a measure of the fear of airstrikes that they have endured for 20 months.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Canada airdrops aid into Gaza, says Israel violating international law
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Pallets are prepared on a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130 Hercules transport aircraft before airdropping some of approximately 21,600 lbs of humanitarian aid over the Gaza Strip, at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan August 4, 2025. Corporal Marc-Andre Leclerc/Canadian Forces/Handout via REUTERS Canada said on Monday it delivered humanitarian assistance through airdrops to Gaza, which has been under a devastating Israeli military assault for almost 22 months, with Ottawa again accusing Israel of violating international law. "The (Canadian Armed Forces) employed a CC-130J Hercules aircraft to conduct an airdrop of critical humanitarian aid in support of Global Affairs Canada into the Gaza Strip. The air drop consisted of 21,600 pounds of aid," the Canadian government said in a statement. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that it was Canadian Armed Forces' first humanitarian airdrop over Gaza using their own aircraft. The Israeli military said 120 food aid packages for Gaza's residents were airdropped by six countries, including Canada. The other five were Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Germany and Belgium. Canada said last week it plans to recognize the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations in September, ratcheting up pressure on Israel as starvation spreads in Gaza. Canada also said on Monday that Israeli restrictions have posed challenges for humanitarian agencies. "This obstruction of aid is a violation of international humanitarian law and must end immediately," Canada's government said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore launches review of economic strategy to stay ahead of global shifts Singapore A look at the five committees reviewing Singapore's economic strategy World Trump says he will 'substantially' raise tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases Singapore Strong S'pore-Australia ties underpinned by bonds that are continually renewed: President Tharman Singapore All recruits at BMTC will be trained to fly drones and counter them: Chan Chun Sing Sport Singaporean swimmer Gan Ching Hwee at 'crossroads' after World Aquatics C'ships display Singapore Ong Beng Seng to be sentenced on Aug 15, prosecution does not object to fine due to his poor health Singapore Pritam Singh had hoped WP would 'tip one or two more constituencies' at GE2025 The Israeli embassy in Ottawa had no immediate comment. Israel denies accusations of violating international law and blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza. Israel cut off food supplies to Gaza in March and then lifted that blockade in May - but with restrictions that it said were needed to prevent aid from being diverted to militant groups. President Donald Trump also claimed Hamas militants were stealing food coming into Gaza and selling it. However, Reuters reported late last month that an internal U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies. Israel says it is taking steps for more aid to reach Gaza's population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, allowing airdrops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, Israeli tallies show. Gaza's health ministry says Israel's subsequent military assault has killed over 60,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Germany should consider Israel sanctions, senior lawmaker says after trip
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Siemtje Moeller, State Secretary at the German Ministry of Defence addresses the media in representation of sick Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during the Ukraine Contact Group meeting hosted by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd James Austin at Ramstein airbase in Germany, September 19, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo BERLIN - A senior lawmaker in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition on Monday said Berlin should consider sanctions on Israel including a partial suspension of weapons exports or the suspension of a European Union-wide political agreement. The call by Siemtje Moeller, the deputy leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) parliamentary faction, reflects a sharpening of rhetoric from Berlin against Israel which has yet to yield any major policy changes however. Moeller, whose SPD joined a coalition with Merz's conservatives this year, wrote a letter to SPD lawmakers after returning from a trip to Israel with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul last week. "My assessment is that the Israeli government will move little without pressure. If such concrete improvements fail to materialize in the near future, there must be consequences," she said in the letter, seen by Reuters. Recognition of a Palestinian state should not be "taboo", she said, adding that Israeli statements that there were no restrictions on aid to Gaza were not convincing. At the same time, Moeller demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages held by Hamas. She said Hamas must no longer play a role in a political future in Gaza. "It must be disarmed, its reign of terror must end." Western nations have intensified efforts to exert pressure on Israel, with Britain, Canada and France signalling their readiness to recognise a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territory at the United Nations General Assembly this September. Israel has criticised France, Britain and Canada, saying their decision will reward Hamas. Critics argue that Germany's response remains overly cautious, shaped by an enduring sense of historical guilt for the Holocaust and reinforced by pro-Israel sentiment in influential media circles, weakening the West's collective ability to apply meaningful pressure on Israel. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in a cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's air and ground war in densely populated Gaza has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to enclave health officials. A growing number of civilians are dying from starvation and malnutrition, Gaza health authorities say, with images of starving children shocking the world and intensifying criticism of Israel over its curbs on aid into the enclave. Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza but, in response to a rising international outcry, it announced steps last week to let more aid reach the population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, approving air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. REUTERS
CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
Five Years After Beirut Port Blast, Lebanon's President Vows Justice
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday (Aug 4) vowed justice and accountability five years after the catastrophic Beirut port explosion, as the investigating judge concluded questioning key defendants, a judicial official said. Nobody has been held accountable for the Aug 4, 2020 blast, one of the world's largest non-nuclear explosions, which devastated much of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring over 6,500. Authorities say the explosion was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser had been stored for years, despite repeated warnings to senior officials. Judge Tarek Bitar resumed his investigation earlier this year, after a power shift following the Israel-Hezbollah war that weakened the Iran-backed militant group. Hezbollah had previously led efforts to remove Bitar from the case. Aoun said the Lebanese state "is committed to uncovering the whole truth, no matter the obstacles or how high the positions" involved. "The law applies to all, without exception," he said in a statement. Monday was declared a national day of mourning. Rallies demanding justice were planned later in the day, converging on the port. INVESTIGATION MOVES AHEAD Bitar has now finished questioning defendants and suspects, a judicial official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Those questioned include former prime minister Hassan Diab, as well as several military and security officials. Some former ministers refused to appear for questioning, the official added. Bitar is awaiting responses to requests sent to several Arab and European countries for information on related incidents. Once received, he will finalise the investigation and send the file to the public prosecution before issuing an indictment. President Aoun said, "We are working with all available means to ensure the investigations are completed with transparency and integrity." Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a former International Court of Justice judge who took office earlier this year, called the investigation a matter of national importance, denouncing a legacy of official impunity. Despite the scale of the tragedy, no one is currently in custody over the case. VICTIMS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said in a joint statement that "despite the resumption of the investigation, the road to justice remains littered with political and legal challenges". They called for an "unobstructed investigation that establishes the facts and full chain of responsibility" for the explosion, whether domestic or international. Mariana Fodoulian, from the association of victims' families, said officials had spent five years dodging accountability. "We're not asking for anything more than the truth," she said. "We won't stop until we get comprehensive justice." Culture Minister Ghassan Salame said on Sunday that the destroyed wheat silos at the port would be added to a list of historic buildings, a demand long made by victims' families. "The silos are the only witness to what happened on August 4," Fodoulian said. United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, on Monday urged authorities to "take all necessary action to expedite progress in judicial proceedings". The US, British and French embassies also called for accountability. The European Union welcomed recent steps forward, stressing that 'ending impunity is essential for Lebanon's recovery.'
