A tragic incident at an aid distribution site in Khan Younis, Gaza, left 20 Palestinians dead on Wednesday, according to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
Nineteen people were trampled and one was stabbed during a violent surge in the crowd. GHF, an Israeli- and U.S.-backed group, blamed armed Hamas-affiliated agitators for inciting chaos. The foundation reported firearms in the crowd for the first time since its operations began.
“This follows a pattern of false rumors about aid openings, which are deliberately spread to create disorder,” GHF said.
Hamas-controlled health officials said the victims died of suffocation in an overcrowded space. Arab-Israeli MK Ahmad Tibi called the site a “death trap,” accusing Israel of deliberately endangering starving civilians.
GHF operates outside UN coordination and uses private U.S. contractors, a model criticized by aid groups as unsafe. While Israel claims this reduces Hamas looting, others say it endangers civilians trying to reach aid.
The deadly event comes amid Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza, aimed at dismantling Hamas and freeing hostages taken during the October 7 attacks.
