Despite a declared ceasefire between Israel and Iran in their ongoing aerial hostilities, the besieged <a title="Gaza" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/international/idf-kills-top-mujahideen-commander-in-central-gaza-strike/14440" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gaza</a> Strip has once again been plunged into chaos and bloodshed. At least 40 Palestinians were reported killed in Israeli attacks on Tuesday, with hundreds more injured as military operations intensified around aid distribution points, raising serious humanitarian concerns.
According to medical personnel and residents on the ground, Israeli drones and ground forces have killed at least 86 Palestinians since daybreak, with 56 of those deaths occurring in proximity to areas designated for humanitarian aid. In Rafah, situated in southern Gaza, 27 individuals queuing for aid were reportedly gunned down in what local medics described as a deliberate targeting of civilians.
The cumulative toll of Israel&rsquo;s campaign in Gaza, which began on 7 October 2023, has now exceeded 56,000 dead and more than 131,000 injured. Tuesday&rsquo;s casualties add to a grim tally that is increasingly concentrated around so-called aid zones set up by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). These sites, criticised by the head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency as &ldquo;death traps&rdquo;, have become focal points of deadly violence.
One of the deadliest incidents of the day occurred along Salah al-Din Street, south of Wadi Gaza in central Gaza. At least 25 people were confirmed dead, with over 140 wounded&mdash;62 of them critically&mdash;according to hospital sources. Shocking footage circulated from al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp showed bodies being rushed in for emergency treatment amid chaos and anguish.
Similar scenes played out at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, where casualties from another alleged attack near al-Tina Street were brought in. There were also fatalities reported in Gaza City, where witnesses claimed people approaching an aid point were struck by Israeli fire. Reports from al-Shifa Hospital painted a harrowing picture: an overwhelmed emergency ward, a floor slick with blood, and patients dying before they could be treated.
Ahmed Halawa, a survivor from the area, described the events as a &ldquo;massacre&rdquo;, saying Israeli tanks and drones fired upon civilians even as they were fleeing.
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ALSRO READ: https://www.benefitnews24.com/international/un-seeks-more-aid-as-5-trucks-enter-gaza/11939
The Israeli military has acknowledged it is reviewing reports of gunfire near the militarised Netzarim Corridor, where soldiers allegedly opened fire after being approached by a group. Israel has previously justified similar incidents by stating that soldiers fired at &ldquo;suspects&rdquo; near GHF sites. However, aid organisations and eyewitnesses contest these claims, saying the majority of victims are unarmed civilians trying to access food and essential supplies.
A UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, decried the rising civilian death toll and the structure of the current humanitarian setup. &ldquo;People are being killed just for trying to get food,&rdquo; he said, criticising the militarised approach to humanitarian aid in Gaza as fundamentally flawed and devoid of impartiality or independence.
As the situation in Gaza deteriorates further, the gap between declared ceasefires and on-the-ground reality grows starker by the day.

'victims' family members weeping (image source: Human Rights group)

Dozens dead near aid zones despite Israel-Iran truce; Gaza reels from fresh Israeli strikes

Aid Seekers Killed as Gaza Ceasefire Unravels

Dozens dead near aid zones despite Israel-Iran truce; Gaza reels from fresh Israeli strikes

June 25, 2025 | 14:43 IST