Israeli tank shelling kills 45 people awaiting aid trucks in Gaza, ministry says

Palestinians carry a man who was wounded in an Israeli strike while waiting for aid, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, at Nasser hospital, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, June 17, 2025. (Reuters)
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  • Medics said residents said Israeli tanks fired shells against crowds of desperate Palestinians awaiting aid trucks

CAIRO: Israeli tank shellfire killed at least 45 Palestinians as they awaited aid trucks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the territory’s health ministry said, adding that dozens of others were wounded.
Medics said residents said Israeli tanks fired shells against crowds of desperate Palestinians awaiting aid trucks along the main eastern road in Khan Younis, expecting the number of fatalities to rise as many of the wounded were in critical condition.
A ministry statement added that the Nasser Hospital, where the casualties were rushed to, had been overwhelmed by the number of deaths and injuries.
There was no immediate comment by the Israeli military on the incident.

World Health Organization officials said that it had received reports of a mass casualty incident on Tuesday near a food distribution site in Gaza

“This is again the result of another food distribution initiative,” said Thanos Gargavanis, WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer, without giving further details.

“There's a constant correlation with the positions of the four announced food distribution sites and the mass casualty incidents,” he added, saying the trauma injuries in recent days were mostly from gunshot wounds.