Watan-The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Wednesday that 21 Palestinians were killed, including 15 who died from suffocation caused by tear gas fired at a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid at the American-Israeli distribution center south of Khan Younis.
In its statement, the ministry said:”Twenty-one citizens were martyred, including 15 who suffocated from the gases released at the crowd, followed by a stampede, at the American aid distribution center—dubbed the ‘Death Traps’—south of Khan Younis.”
The ministry added:”This is the first time deaths from suffocation and intense crowding are recorded at aid distribution centers.”
The Ministry accused Israel and the U.S.-affiliated ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ of “deliberately committing massacres through systematic and varied methods.”
Meanwhile, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation stated that 19 of the victims were trampled to death, one died from stabbing, amid the stampede and dangerous chaos.
The foundation blamed Hamas for the disorder, claiming:”We have credible reasons to believe that armed individuals from within the crowd—belonging to Hamas—deliberately incited chaos.”
It noted that firearms were seen for the first time, one of which was confiscated, and that an American staff member was threatened at gunpoint.
Since May 27, Israel and the U.S. have been implementing a controversial aid distribution plan—without the oversight of the United Nations or international organizations—through the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. During these operations, Israeli soldiers reportedly open fire on Palestinians lined up for food, forcing them to choose between starvation or being shot.
Most UN agencies and international aid organizations have refused to cooperate with the foundation, saying it lacks neutrality, professionalism, and only increases civilian suffering.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that “875 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to obtain food as of July 13, including 674 near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites.”
Since March 2, Israel has blocked aid trucks from entering Gaza at border crossings, allowing only a few dozen per day—while Palestinians in the Strip need at least 500 trucks daily to meet basic needs.
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