At least 85 Palestinians were killed and more than 150 injured Sunday in Gaza while attempting to access food aid, according to the territory's Health Ministry, as the Israel Defense Forces expanded evacuation orders across the besieged enclave, including areas previously considered relatively safe.
The deadliest incident occurred in northern Gaza near the Zikim crossing with Israel, where 79 people died while attempting to retrieve flour from trucks operated by the U.N. World Food Programme. Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Health Ministry's records department, told the Associated Press that "starving communities" had gathered around a 25-truck convoy when Israeli forces opened fire.
A U.N. official speaking on condition of anonymity said that "Israeli forces opened fire toward crowds who tried to take food from the convoy." Video footage obtained by the U.N. and shared with the AP shows Palestinian men running under gunfire. The WFP said its aid convoy encountered "massive crowds of hungry civilians" and came under fire after being released from checkpoints. "Any violence involving civilians seeking humanitarian aid is completely unacceptable," the group stated.
Israeli military officials said troops encountered thousands of people and fired warning shots at individuals who posed a threat. "Initial review suggests that the number of casualties reported does not align with the information held by the IDF," a military spokesperson said. The army accused Hamas of creating chaos and endangering civilians during the incident.
In a separate shooting, six Palestinians were killed in the Shakoush area near Rafah, and seven others died while sheltering in tents in Khan Younis, including a 5-year-old child, according to local medical reports. Sunday's overall death toll made it one of the deadliest days for Palestinians seeking aid in recent months.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued evacuation orders for parts of central Gaza, including Deir al-Balah, warning residents to flee south toward Al-Mawasi, a barren coastal zone with limited infrastructure. He reiterated previous warnings for civilians to avoid northern areas such as Beit Lahia, Jabalia, and Shuja'iyya, describing them as "dangerous combat zones."
The new evacuations triggered panic among displaced civilians already pushed out of Rafah. "All of Rafah is under evacuation, and now you have decided that half of Deir al-Balah is under evacuation. Where will we move to?" said resident Hassan Abu Azab.
The Medical Aid for Palestinians group reported that multiple humanitarian organizations were forced to evacuate their offices and guesthouses. Nine clinics, including one run by MAP, were shut down. The U.N. is in communication with Israeli officials to clarify whether their facilities are affected by the orders.
Hospitals sounded coordinated alarms across Gaza on Sunday in an emergency appeal amid growing malnutrition. Doctors shared images of starving children and called attention to dwindling supplies.
Since Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, which killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and led to the kidnapping of 251 hostages, Israel's military campaign has left over 58,800 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The U.N. continues to recognize the ministry's data despite its affiliation with Hamas.
