Israeli airstrikes and gunfire killed at least 41 Palestinians across Gaza on Sunday, including five civilians near U.S.-backed aid distribution sites, according to local health authorities. The attacks deepen a humanitarian catastrophe as Gaza’s death toll nears 55,400 amid Israel’s 20-month military campaign.
At least three people died and dozens were wounded when Israeli forces opened fire on crowds near the Netzarim Corridor—a militarized zone splitting Gaza—where thousands gathered despite the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) site being closed. Two others perished en route to a GHF location in Rafah. Since GHF’s launch in May, 300+ Palestinians have been killed and over 2,600 injured near its aid points, branded "human slaughterhouses" by Gaza’s Government Media Office. The GHF, led by Trump ally Johnnie Moore Jr., operates under Israeli military oversight, requiring civilians to navigate active combat zones for food.
Beit Lahiya: Seven killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Nuseirat refugee camp: Eleven died when a residential building was bombed.
Khan Younis: Ten killed in coordinated strikes, including three from one family attempting to return home.
Gaza City: Two killed near an aid distribution center northwest of the city.
The Israeli military issued no comment on Sunday’s incidents but has previously described such zones as "closed military areas" after dark.
Gaza’s Health Ministry confirmed the war’s total death toll has reached 55,362, with 128,741 injured—mostly women and children. Since Israel shattered a ceasefire on March 18, over 5,071 additional Palestinians have been killed. Malnutrition and disease rage unchecked, with hospitals like al-Shifa operating at minimal capacity. UNICEF’s James Elder, reporting from Gaza, stated Israel is waging "a war on children" amid collapsing medical infrastructure.
The GHF’s distribution model—rejected by the UN as "inadequate, dangerous, and violating humanitarian principles"—provides just 1,750 calories daily per person, below crisis standards. UNRWA condemned it as a "distraction from atrocities" that militarizes aid. Gaza Health Director Munir Al-Bursh denounced the sites as "traps for the poor," adding: "Aid distributed under fire isn’t aid, it is humiliation".
Israel’s COGAT agency announced 292 aid trucks entered Gaza this week but maintained restrictions to "prevent Hamas theft"—an unfounded allegation Hamas denies. The UN stresses only its reactivated 400-distribution-point network can alleviate famine conditions.
The violence follows Israel’s March 18 surprise offensive (Operation Might and Sword), which shattered a 42-day ceasefire by killing 400+ Palestinians overnight. Israel justified the attack by claiming Hamas refused truce extensions, though mediators noted Hamas’ willingness to . Since then, Israel’s blockade has pushed 500,000+ into famine, with the GHF failing to offset shortages.