Translated with AI
Israeli tanks opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid in the city of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. According to doctors and eyewitnesses, at least 51 people were killed and about 200 were injured in the incident. This was reported on June 16 by the international agency Reuters and a number of other sources.
According to eyewitnesses, Israeli tanks fired at least two shells into the crowd near the main eastern road of Khan Yunis, where several thousand people had gathered. One of the wounded, an eyewitness named Alaa, said that people were gathered and sent forward, after which tanks began firing at them.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that gunfire had been fired in the area and said it was currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. In a statement, the IDF said that a truck carrying humanitarian aid had previously been spotted at the scene, with IDF soldiers and a crowd of people nearby. According to the IDF, fire was opened after the crowd approached military positions, and the army expressed regret over any harm to civilians and assured that the actions were aimed at minimizing damage while ensuring the safety of the troops.
Humanitarian aid in Gaza is mainly delivered through the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), a US-Israeli partnership that runs aid distribution points guarded by Israeli forces. However, the United Nations criticizes the system as unsafe and unfair, arguing that it violates the principles of impartiality in humanitarian aid. Israel justifies the policy by saying that it is necessary to prevent aid from falling into the hands of Hamas militants, something Hamas denies.
According to the Gaza authorities, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach GHF aid distribution points. On June 15, 23 people were killed in the Rafah area as a result of Israeli shelling, according to local authorities.
In response to the ongoing escalation of conflict in the region, the Israeli army also carried out attacks on targets in Iran, including the headquarters of state television.
The situation in the Gaza Strip remains extremely tense, and the international community continues to call for a de-escalation of the conflict and safe access to humanitarian aid for civilians.
