Jerusalem, 16 July, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Twenty people were killed Tuesday morning in a deadly stampede at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution site in Khan Yunis sparked by armed Hamas-affiliated agitators on Wednesday morning, the group confirmed in a statement.
“We are heartbroken to confirm that 20 people died this morning in a tragic incident at SDS3,” the organization said, noting that 19 victims were trampled and one was fatally stabbed. The chaos reportedly began when members of the crowd — some armed and allegedly affiliated with Hamas — deliberately incited unrest.
“For the first time since operations began, GHF personnel identified multiple firearms in the crowd, one of which was confiscated,” the statement continued. “An American worker was also threatened with a firearm by a member of the crowd.”
According to GHF, “This horrific event follows a deeply troubling pattern in recent days. False messages about aid site openings, including at SDS4 (Wadi Gaza) and the long-closed SDS1 (Tal Sultan), have circulated widely on Telegram and other platforms, fueling confusion, driving crowds to closed sites, and inciting disorder. Just last night, GHF issued a warning in Arabic via Facebook urging aid seekers to ignore these misleading messages, and to only refer to official GHF channels for updates on our operations.”
Since beginning operations on May 26, the GHF has distributed more than 76 million meals, including 1.6 million on Tuesday.
The GHF has come under repeated threats from Hamas, according to its leadership, particularly over its independent aid delivery model that bypasses Hamas-controlled channels.
Hamas has been firing on Palestinians making their way to distribution centers, and residents of the Strip accuse the terror group of violence to deliberately disrupt the aid.
At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, around 30 are believed to be dead.
