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Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on hundreds of Palestinians waiting for food aid from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in central Gaza early June 24, killing at least 25 and wounding over 140, according to Palestinian witnesses and hospitals.
Witnesses told The Associated Press (AP) that Israeli tanks and drones opened fire as civilians advanced toward trucks delivering food to a distribution site run by an American contractor and backed by Israel.
The latest flare-up comes after Israel resumed full military operations March 18, ending a ceasefire that began on Jan. 19, 2025, following 14 months of deadly violence since Israel launched its military response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on southern Israel. Palestinian health authorities now claim, AP News reported, that over 56,000 people have been killed.
Tuesday’s incident took place near the Netzarim corridor, a key Israeli-controlled route bisecting Gaza.
“It was a massacre,” one Palestinian man quoted by AP News said, describing how Israeli forces opened fire “even as we were fleeing. Many people were either martyred or wounded.”
Another witness said drones hovered overhead before gunfire broke out, creating a “chaotic and bloody” scene. As he fled, he saw at least three motionless bodies on the ground and many others wounded.
The Israeli military confirmed it is reviewing the incident but stated that its forces fire warning shots when large crowds approach in a suspicious manner, according to the report. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of stealing aid from humanitarian sites and using distribution points to shield their fighters or stage attacks.
According to AP News, the Awda hospital in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp, which received the victims, confirmed 25 deaths and said 146 others were wounded. It said 62 were in critical condition and transferred to other hospitals.
In his June 22 Angelus address on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the need for peace in the Middle East.
“Alarming news continues to emerge from the Middle East, especially from Iran,” the Pontiff said, referencing the recent Israel-Iran conflict. “Against this tragic backdrop, which includes Israel and Palestine, people’s daily suffering, especially in Gaza and the other territories, where the need for adequate humanitarian aid is becoming increasingly urgent, risks being forgotten. Today more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace.”
Earlier this month, CatholicVote reported that Gaza’s small Christian community continues to provide shelter, counseling, and education to civilians traumatized by the ongoing conflict, offering hope amid the devastation.
