WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES: Eye witnesses describe a ‘massacre’ after 51 people were killed inside Gaza as they were waiting to get food via a controversial new distribution network system
More than 50 Palestinians were killed in Gaza this morning as Israelis opened fire near a food aid distribution point.
Eye witnesses described it as ‘a massacre’. The attack in the city of Khan Younis left at least 200 others wounded – 21 are in hospital in a critical condition. It’s the latest in a series of incidents as Palestinians try to get food via a controversial new distribution system by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
It happened as aid seekers gathered at points leading to a recently established point for the GHF. Witnesses said they had gone to collect food but were met with live ammunition and drone attacks without warning.
Survivor Saeed Abu Liba, 38, said: ‘Tens of thousands of hungry civilians gathered for the aid. Two Israeli shells were dropped in the middle of the crowd. Dozens of civilians, including children, were killed, and no one could help or save lives.’
Yousef Nofal said he saw many people motionless and bleeding on the ground after Israeli forces opened fire. He said: ‘It was a massacre’ claiming soldiers continued firing on people as they fled from the area.
Mohammed Abu Qeshfa said he heard a loud explosion followed by heavy gunfire and tank shelling. He said: “I survived by a miracle.”
The dead and wounded were taken to the city’s Nasser Hospital, which confirmed the toll. Samaher Meqdad was at the hospital looking for her two brothers and a nephew who had been in the crowd. “We don’t want flour. We don’t want food. We don’t want anything,” she said. “Why did they fire at the young people? Why? Aren’t we human beings?”
The Gaza Civil Defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said: ‘Israeli drones fired at the citizens. “Some minutes later, Israeli tanks fired several shells at the citizens, which led to a large number of martyrs and wounded.’
Dr Mohammed Saqer, head of nursing at Nasser hospital, said nearly 700 casualties had been treated in hospitals. The doctor described the situation as a ‘mass casualty’ incident that occurred when “tanks attacked the people who were waiting for food and humanitarian aid’ Dr Saqer said: “Most of the cases are in serious conditions due to the tanks’ missiles and now the situation at Nasser medical complex is out of control.
“We can’t deal with such a high number of cases, so we asked the hospitals around Khan Younis city to support us and send ambulances to transfer cases to those hospitals. Until now, we are suffering a lot due to lack of medical supplies and instruments in addition to the lack of medical and nursing staff.
“We are trying to control the situation but now we can’t do anything more because the situation is really horrible and out of our control.”