22-07-2025
'I saw death': Palestinians recall Israeli massacre of nearly 100 aid seekers
Piles of dead bodies and wounded people. That is all 18 year-old Mohammad al-Ewadi could see around him.
He was among thousands of starving Palestinians heading towards the al-Sudaniya area in northwestern Gaza City on Sunday morning.
There, trucks from the World Food Programme (WFP) were expected to arrive, offering a rare chance to access long-denied essential supplies.
But as people gathered near the truck, Israeli troops surrounded relief-seekers, directly and indiscriminately shooting towards them, according to eyewitnesses, among them Ewadi.
"They [the Israeli army] fired heavily at us from the tanks," he told Middle East Eye, describing how military vehicles moved through the crowd, at times passing within inches of civilians.
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"There are now piles of martyrs. It was chaos... the scenes were grotesque, truly grotesque.
'People were being shot from all directions. If someone next to you was hit, you couldn't help them'
- Mohammad al-Ewadi, survivor
"People were being shot from all directions. If someone next to you was hit, you couldn't help them. You just wanted to hide, in that moment, saving yourself becomes the only thing that matters."
Ewadi estimated that tens of thousands people had gathered in the area in the hope of receiving humanitarian aid, the largest crowd he had seen since the beginning of the war.
His brother, Abdullah al-Ewadi, was among those wounded in the attack.
Health officials reported that at least 99 people were killed in the attack, with over 650 others wounded.
The attack brought the total death toll of humanitarian aid seekers since the end of May to more than 1,021, with over 6,511 Palestinians wounded.
The Gaza health ministry reported that at least 99 people were killed in the Israeli attack, with over 650 others injured (MEE/Mohammed al-Hajjar)
Among those wounded was Farah Hisham al-Sheesh, who made his way to the area at around 10am, following rumours of a new delivery of aid.
There, he was hit in the head during the Israeli shelling.
"God is sufficient, that's all we can say," he told MEE.
Nafez Hana al-Najjar, from Jabalia, another eyewitness, described a similar experience.
'We were surrounded, and I was wounded in the ear and arm. I saw men martyred in front of me, and wounded people all around. May God heal them,' he said.
Najjar told MEE it was his first time attempting to reach the area in search of aid and was shocked when Israeli tanks, soldiers, and drones began firing at the crowd.
As bullets struck him, he recalled his cousin rushing over to help, only to be shot in the heart and killed instantly.
"It was all indiscriminate and without warning… God help us," Najjar said, his eyes welling with tears.
'He look like a skeleton'
The Gaza Strip has been under a total Israeli siege since 2 March, when all humanitarian aid and commercial goods were blocked from entering the territory.
In late May, the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) began distributing limited food parcels at four designated locations in southern and central Gaza.
'I lost five kilograms - imagine what's happened to my little boy'
- Farah al-Sheesh, Palestinian father
However, the controversial new mechanism has done little to alleviate the deepening starvation crisis. Northern areas of the enclave remain largely cut off from aid delivered through this system.
Al-Sheesh, who is supporting eight family members including his wife and children, said there is "nothing left anymore" in Gaza.
He noted that a kilogram of flour cost him 140 shekels (around $41.70), forcing the family to survive on basic foodstuffs such as lentils and rice.
Among his children are two young boys, Mohammad, aged two, and Nouriddeen, six, both suffering from malnutrition, with symptoms including severe diarrhoea and vomiting.
"I lost five kilograms - imagine what's happened to my little boy. He look like a skeleton," Sheesh said.
Palestinians killed in the Israel attack on civilians on Sunday in north Gaza (MEE/Mohammed al-Hajjar)
Ewadi, who is supporting 15 relatives, said they currently have no food staples at all, adding that the last time he ate bread was two months ago.
He made the journey to the Sudaniya area eight times before in an effort to obtain humanitarian aid, but was only successful twice.
"Last time, we couldn't get anything," he said.
"This time, praise be to God, we managed to secure 11 kilograms of flour," Ewadi said, estimating it would last his family just four days.
Armed gangs
Once aid is secured, it is still not guaranteed that it will make it back home.
Many challenges await, including escaping death and looting.
Ewadi recalled how some of those who managed to get food supplies were stopped by armed looters on the way, and had their packages stolen.
Sheesh faced a similar fate, saying a bag of flour was once stolen from him by a group of youth.
Eyewitnesses indicate that Israeli troops and military vehicles surrounded relief-seekers, directly and indiscriminately shooting towards them, killing and wounded Palestinians (MEE/Mohammed al-Hajjar)
Ehab al-Zein, who was also a witness to the Sunday attack, said the severe hunger and thirst people are experiencing is forcing them to risk their lives at these so-called humanitarian aid distribution points.
Frustrated, he told MEE that it had been over a week, possibly two, since he last had access to flour.
"What can we do? We are running towards death just to get a kilogram of flour. And even then, it doesn't always work. Sometimes we come back with nothing. We die, and return home empty-handed.
'Only God knows how I made it out alive. It took a hundred miracles'
- Ehab al-Zein, Palestinian father
"I've never actually managed to get anything before. This time was a blessing from God. I saw death with my own two eyes and somehow came back alive."
Zein said he is responsible for providing for 20 family members, including his parents, sisters, his late brother's two children, his own wife, and children.
"Only God knows what I'm going through."
He says he won't return to the distribution point again.
"I will die from hunger. What else can I do? Go there to be killed? I'm not going back. Let the children die of hunger, it's better than watching them die like this.
"For an hour and a half I endured bullets flying over my head, shelling, and shooting.
"Only God knows how I made it out alive. It took a hundred miracles."
