Gaza Health Authorities Say Israel Kills 44 Waiting For Aid As War’s Death Toll Passes 56,000

GAZA CITY, GAZA – JUNE 24: Bodies of Palestinians who lost their lives are taken by their relatives from al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City for funeral ceremony and their relatives are being mourned after ISraeli attacks, on June 14, 2025 in Gaza City, Gaza. The Israeli army targeted Palestinians waiting near the aid distribution point on Salahaddin Street, south of the Netzarim Corridor in the central Gaza Strip, killing several people and injuring many others. (Photo by Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu via Getty Images)

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian witnesses and hospitals say Israeli forces and drones have opened fire toward hundreds of people waiting for aid in southern and central Gaza, killing at least 44 people. Gaza’s health authorities said Tuesday the number of Palestinians killed in the war has risen above 56,000. They say the dead include 5,759 who have been killed since Israel ended a two-month ceasefire on March 18. New food distribution sites run by an American contractor, with U.S. and Israeli government support, have been plagued by scenes of violence and chaos since opening last month.