Gaza aid convoy struck: Israel kills 20 Palestinians

Shafaq News/ At least 20 Palestinians were killed and over 200 injured—50 critically—after Israeli forces struck a crowd waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza, the Health Ministry reported on Monday.

Victims were transported to the Red Cross Field Hospital in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, which also came under Israeli fire, endangering both patients and medical staff. The ministry condemned the strike as a deliberate attack on civilians and medical infrastructure.

It called for the immediate reopening of the European Gaza Hospital, warning that existing facilities are overwhelmed. The ministry also urged international agencies to implement safer aid distribution, noting that large gatherings remain frequent targets.

Since the war began on October 7, 2023, Israeli operations have killed 55,362 Palestinians—mostly women and children—and injured over 128,741, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces reimposed a communications blackout across central and southern Gaza, just two days after limited service was restored.

The Palestinian Telecommunications Company reported a full shutdown of internet and landline networks following fresh Israeli strikes on key infrastructure, while the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said it is working with providers to secure repair access.

Gaza’s Government Media Office blamed the blackout on a deliberate attempt to “cut Gaza off from the world, silence truth, and block emergency calls for help.” Officials warned that the outage has paralyzed ambulance dispatch and left wounded civilians unreachable.

Notably, this marks at least the 17th communications outage since the war began, severely disrupting hospital operations, emergency response, and civil defense coordination.