Gaza Civil Defence: 68 Killed in 24 Hours Amid Israeli Strikes
Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that 68 people were killed over a 24-hour period on Tuesday due to Israeli gunfire and airstrikes, including 56 who were reportedly waiting for aid at distribution points across the territory.
Spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 30 individuals were fatally shot by Israeli forces while waiting near Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. The Israeli military acknowledged firing “warning shots” towards a group of Gazans approaching troops in the Morag corridor but said it was “unaware of any casualties.”
Bassal also said that 20 more people were killed and over 100 injured near the Zikim border crossing in northern Gaza, an area used for aid deliveries. An AFP journalist confirmed seeing multiple bodies at the Hamad Hospital, with medical sources attributing the deaths to the incident near Zikim. The Israeli military said it was investigating the matter.
In a separate incident in central Gaza, six people were killed and 21 wounded by Israeli fire while waiting near another aid centre. The Israeli army denied firing near any aid site in that region on Tuesday.
Due to severe media restrictions and limited access within Gaza, AFP noted that it could not independently verify the casualty figures or the accounts provided by either side.
Thousands of Palestinians gather daily at various food distribution points, including those run by the US- and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Since its launch in late May, the foundation’s aid distribution has reportedly been disrupted by frequent shootings from Israeli forces targeting crowds.
Nearly 22 months into the conflict, Israeli restrictions have caused widespread shortages of food, fuel, and medical supplies in Gaza. Hospitals remain critically dependent on fuel to power generators.
‘No Place is Safe’
Five additional people were reported killed in a pre-dawn airstrike on tents in Al-Mawasi, an area previously designated as a “safe zone” by Israel.
“They said it was safe, but people are dying even when collecting aid,” said Adham Younes, a resident who lost a relative in the attack. “There’s no safety in Gaza — everyone is at risk of death or injury.”
Another witness, Mahmud Younes, described the aftermath: “We found women covered in blood, screaming — the entire family was injured.”
Additional casualties included six deaths near Gaza City and one more near Khan Yunis.
Meanwhile, Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for shelling an Israeli command centre in the Morag corridor. The Israeli army said it had no record of such an attack occurring.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
