Deadly Clash Near Gaza Aid Convoys Leaves 93 Palestinians Dead: Official

At Least 93 Palestinians Killed Near Gaza Aid Convoys, Says Civil Defence Body.

Dozens more injured as Israel denies targeting civilians; UN agencies raise alarm over worsening crisis

At least 93 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured on Sunday after Israeli forces allegedly opened fire near multiple humanitarian aid distribution points across Gaza, according to the territory’s civil defence agency. The incident marks one of the deadliest involving civilians seeking food and aid in the ongoing conflict.

Deadly Clashes Near Aid Routes
The highest casualties occurred in northern Gaza, where 80 people were reported dead after desperate civilians surged toward trucks carrying aid. Additional deaths were reported in Rafah (9) and Khan Yunis (4), said Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defence authority.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP), which had a 25-truck convoy in the area, confirmed its team encountered “massive crowds of hungry civilians which came under gunfire” soon after crossing into northern Gaza. The convoy was forced to turn back.

Competing Narratives
The Israeli military disputed the reported death toll, saying its forces fired only “warning shots” to disperse crowds they deemed threatening. It said it was reviewing the incident. However, Palestinian eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and indiscriminate firing.

“Snipers were shooting at anything that moved… It felt like we were being hunted,” said Qasem Abu Khater, 36, who said he narrowly escaped gunfire near Gaza City.

With media access heavily restricted in the Strip, casualty numbers could not be independently verified. However, humanitarian organisations and the UN have expressed grave concern over what they describe as an escalating pattern of violence against civilians queuing for aid.

Since late May, nearly 800 people have been killed while seeking humanitarian assistance, according to UN estimates.

Church Strike, Papal Condemnation
Sunday’s violence came on the heels of an Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s Holy Family Church that killed three people, drawing rare public rebuke from the Vatican. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed regrets to Pope Leo XIV, calling it an “unintentional strike.” The Pope, during his Angelus address, condemned the ongoing “barbarity” and civilian toll in Gaza.

Catholic Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa visited the bombed church on Sunday and led a mass in a show of solidarity with Gaza’s Christian community.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
According to the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA, more than 87% of Gaza is now under evacuation orders or designated combat zones. Over 2.1 million people—almost the entire population—are crammed into just 12% of the territory with dwindling access to food, water, and healthcare.

On Sunday, Israel issued a fresh evacuation order for parts of Deir el-Balah, sparking a new wave of displacement. “They told us to leave, but where do we go?” asked one resident fleeing with his family on a donkey cart. “There’s no safe place left.”