Israeli gunfire kills dozens at Gaza aid site
The U.N. estimates that at least 875 Palestinians have died while trying to access food in recent months
What happened
Israeli troops opened fire Sunday on a crowd of hungry Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip as they awaited a United Nations aid convoy. At least 67 were killed and dozens wounded, according to the Gaza health ministry. Another 32 people were killed Saturday near a separate aid site.
Who said what
The civilians were "anxiously waiting to access desperately needed food supplies" from the U.N. World Food Program on Sunday when they came under fire from "Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire," the WFP said in a statement, adding: "There should never, ever, be armed groups near, or on, our aid convoys."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Israeli military said it had fired "warning shots" to "remove an immediate threat." It disputed the death toll reported by Gazan authorities but did not give specific figures of its own, saying the incident was under review.
What next?
The "mounting deaths and the hunger crisis" could hinder ceasefire talks happening in Qatar, a Hamas official told Reuters. Meanwhile, Israel is expanding its offensive into Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, which is "one of the few parts of the Palestinian enclave where it has not yet deployed ground forces," said the Financial Times. The army issued an evacuation order for the densely-populated city Sunday. More than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed during the 21 months of Israeli military operations in Gaza.
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why is China clearing out its generals?Podcast Plus, can the Conservatives win back the centre? And what’s gone wrong with Britain’s hearing aids?
-
The week’s best photosIn Pictures A Viking festival, an inky fingerprint, and more
-
6 homes with incredible balconiesFeature Featuring a graceful terrace above the trees in Utah and a posh wraparound in New York City
-
EU and India clinch trade pact amid US tariff warSpeed Read The agreement will slash tariffs on most goods over the next decade
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
Maduro pleads not guilty in first US court hearingSpeed Read Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to cocaine trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracy
-
Iran’s government rocked by protestsSpeed Read The death toll from protests sparked by the collapse of Iran’s currency has reached at least 19
-
What will happen in 2026? Predictions and eventsIn Depth The new year could bring peace in Ukraine or war in Venezuela, as Donald Trump prepares to host a highly politicised World Cup and Nasa returns to the Moon
-
Why recognizing Somaliland is so risky for IsraelTHE EXPLAINER By wading into one of North Africa’s most fraught political schisms, the Netanyahu government risks further international isolation
-
Israel approves new West Bank settlementsSpeed Read The ‘Israeli onslaught has all but vanquished a free Palestinian existence in the West Bank’
-
US offers Ukraine NATO-like security pact, with caveatsSpeed Read The Trump administration has offered Ukraine security guarantees similar to those it would receive from NATO
