Article
Dozens Killed at Gaza Aid Site Amid Reports of Israeli Gunfire
Summary
Over 20 Palestinians killed at Gaza aid site as reports allege Israeli forces fired on crowds seeking food in Rafah.
At least 21 to 26 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded on Sunday when violence erupted at an aid center for distribution in Gaza's Rafah district. Israeli soldiers opened fire on groups of people who had gathered for humanitarian aid, doctors and witnesses reported. The shooting occurred as hundreds of desperate people had gathered to collect food and provisions, and video footage and reports indicated panic and mayhem at the site.
The attack, during a day of continued fighting between armies in southern Gaza, has elicited global outrage and fresh alarm at the safety of civilians and the humanitarian crisis there. Witnesses described scenes of carnage as individuals fled from gunfire, and hospital staff struggled to treat victims in packed hospitals.
The Israeli military acknowledged operations in the area but has not confessed to direct action in the fatalities. The calls for an impartial investigation and an immediate ceasefire have increased after the attack.