Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza on Monday, killing two civilians and injuring dozens more, according to local reports.

Witnesses at the scene described a terrifying ambush on a group of displaced residents who had gathered in desperation to receive food and basic necessities. The shooting occurred despite the clearly civilian nature of the crowd and the humanitarian context of the gathering.

The latest attack follows a devastating Sunday in Gaza, during which at least 94 Palestinians were killed in similar incidents targeting aid distribution points. These repeated assaults have turned basic humanitarian aid lines into what Palestinians are calling "death traps."

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, since May 27, 2025, at least 995 Palestinians have been killed and more than 6,011 wounded in Israeli attacks directly targeting or occurring near areas where civilians queue for aid. Forty-five individuals remain unaccounted for, feared dead or buried beneath rubble.

Since the beginning of Israel’s military onslaught on October 7, 2023, the toll has reached catastrophic proportions. Over 200,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured, the majority of them women and children, and more than 9,000 people remain missing, many presumed trapped under collapsed buildings.

The continued bombardment and siege have devastated Gaza’s infrastructure, leaving hospitals, bakeries, and water systems inoperable. Aid convoys are frequently blocked or attacked, and famine has begun to spread, particularly in central and southern Gaza where international relief efforts struggle to penetrate.

Human rights organizations have denounced the Israeli targeting of aid queues as a deliberate war tactic aimed at breaking civilian resilience through starvation, fear, and trauma. Calls for an immediate ceasefire and full humanitarian access into Gaza have intensified, but no breakthrough has yet been achieved.

As Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens, the civilian population — already displaced, grieving, and starving — continues to face unprecedented levels of violence, with no safe haven and little hope of relief. (ILKHA)