At least 48 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured Wednesday while waiting for food at a Gaza crossing, a local hospital said, as another aid distribution descended into deadly chaos.
The incident unfolded as U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff prepared to arrive in Israel on Thursday for talks, with Washington pushing to de-escalate the nearly 22-month war and secure the release of hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, incursion.
Israel’s military offensive and blockade have plunged the enclave of 2 million into what experts now call a “worst-case scenario of famine,” as aid convoys are routinely swarmed by desperate civilians and lawlessness deepens.
Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said the dead and wounded were among crowds gathered at the Zikim crossing, the main entry point for humanitarian aid to northern Gaza. It was not immediately clear who opened fire, and there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which controls the crossing.
Associated Press footage showed bodies being ferried away from the scene in ambulances and wooden carts, as well as crowds carrying bags of flour.
Al-Saraya Field Hospital, where critical cases are stabilized before transfer to main hospitals, said it received more than 100 dead and wounded.
Fares Awad, head of the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service, said some bodies were taken to other hospitals, indicating the toll could rise.
Israeli strikes and gunfire had earlier killed at least 46 Palestinians overnight and into Wednesday, most of them among crowds seeking food, health officials said.
Another seven Palestinians, including a child, died of malnutrition-related causes, according to the Health Ministry.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes.
It says it only targets Hamas and blames civilian casualties on the group, which it accuses of operating in densely populated areas.
Under heavy international pressure, Israel announced a series of measures over the weekend to increase the flow of international aid to Gaza, but aid workers say far more is needed.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC – the leading international authority on hunger crises – has stopped short of declaring famine in Gaza but said Tuesday the situation has dramatically worsened and warned of “widespread death” without immediate action.
COGAT, the Israeli military body that coordinates aid entry, said more than 220 trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday.
That remains far below the 500 to 600 trucks per day that U.N. agencies say are required, and which entered during a six-week cease-fire earlier this year.
The United Nations is still struggling to distribute the aid that does arrive, with most trucks being unloaded by crowds in zones controlled by the Israeli military. An alternative aid system run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has also been marred by violence.
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid since May, most near sites managed by GHF, according to witnesses, local health officials and the U.N. human rights office.
The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces, and GHF says its armed contractors have used only pepper spray or warning shots to prevent deadly crowding.
International airdrops of aid have resumed, but many parcels have landed in areas Palestinians were told to evacuate. Others have plunged into the Mediterranean Sea, forcing people to swim out and retrieve soaked bags of flour.
A total of 89 children have died of malnutrition since the war began, according to the Health Ministry. It also reported that 65 adults have died of malnutrition-related causes across Gaza since late June, when it began tracking adult deaths.
Israel denies that famine conditions exist in Gaza, rejecting reports by witnesses, U.N. agencies and aid organizations. It says the focus on hunger undermines cease-fire negotiations.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, incursion on southern Israel, which triggered the war, killed 1,219 people. Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 49 are still held in Gaza.
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