Israeli troops and drones opened fire on a large crowd waiting for aid deliveries in central Gaza early Tuesday, killing at least 25 people, according to Palestinian eyewitnesses and hospital sources.
In response to inquiries from the Associated Press, the Israeli military said it was reviewing reports of casualties following an incident involving a group that approached forces near the Netzarim corridor — a key east-west route through Gaza.
The victims were brought to Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Hospital officials said the crowd had gathered on Salah al-Din Road, just south of Wadi Gaza, to await incoming aid trucks.
Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces fired as people moved eastward toward the anticipated aid.
“It was a massacre,” said Ahmed Halawa, who described tanks and drones firing even as people tried to flee. “Many were killed or injured,” he added.
Another witness, Hossam Abu Shahada, said drones monitored the crowd before tanks and drones opened fire. He described the scene as “chaotic and bloody,” with people running for their lives. He recalled seeing at least three motionless bodies and many wounded as he fled.
Awda Hospital reported 146 people wounded in the incident, with 62 in critical condition transferred to other hospitals in central Gaza. Meanwhile, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah said it received the bodies of six individuals killed in the same event.
Palestinian health officials and witnesses allege that Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on civilians gathering for aid in recent weeks, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The Israeli military claims it has only used warning shots when individuals approached troops suspiciously.
These latest deaths add to the rising toll of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which Gaza’s health ministry says has killed around 56,000 Palestinians since the war began. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and fighters but reports that over half the fatalities were women and children.
The conflict began after Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking 251 hostages. Many of the hostages have since been released through ceasefire deals.