In northern Gaza’s al-Sudaniya area, Israeli forces opened fire on desperate Palestinians queuing for humanitarian aid, killing at least 20 and injuring around 150 more, according to health officials and eyewitnesses. The attack occurred near a distribution point operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a site residents say has become synonymous with danger and death.

Witnesses described the shooting as a “massacre,” recounting how troops fired indiscriminately into the crowd. Medical teams confirmed that most injuries resulted from live ammunition, with victims shot in critical areas such as the head and chest.

Israeli military officials claimed their soldiers fired warning shots after some people allegedly crossed into a “combat zone,” a justification strongly rejected by UN observers and human rights groups. These organizations denounce repeated violence at aid sites as part of a brutal, systematic pattern of using starvation and restricted aid as tools of war.

Since the GHF system was introduced in May, over 1,050 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 5,000 wounded while attempting to access food and medical supplies at similar centres across Gaza. Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, condemned the model as creating “dystopian and deadly environments” and called urgently for the restoration of safe and neutral humanitarian corridors.

With Gaza under siege for more than 650 days, its healthcare in ruins and famine spreading, the international community’s calls for an independent investigation into possible war crimes grow louder. The tragic events at aid distribution points lay bare the catastrophic human cost of a blockade that turns life-saving assistance into a deadly gamble.