Gaza: 20 Dead in Stampede for Aid in Khan Younis

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, backed by the United States, reported that at least 20 people were killed on Wednesday in an incident in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.

According to the organization, 19 people died as a result of being trampled during a chaotic stampede, while another person was stabbed during what the group described as a “dangerous and disordered rush triggered by agitators within the crowd”.

The foundation also stated: “We have strong reason to believe that armed elements affiliated with Hamas, embedded within the crowd, deliberately incited unrest.”

Such tragedies near aid distribution points have occurred repeatedly, often accompanied by gunfire, with Israel and Hamas trading accusations over who is to blame.

This incident comes a day after tripartite meetings held in Cairo addressed several humanitarian components of a potential ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Egyptian channel Al-Qahera News reported, citing unnamed sources, that “Egyptian-Qatari-Israeli meetings are being held in Cairo to discuss the entry of humanitarian aid, the evacuation of the wounded, and the return of stranded individuals.”

These two-day meetings are part of Egypt’s efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, and aim to remove obstacles hindering the delivery of adequate aid to Gaza’s civilian population.

The same sources indicated that “progress and consensus were achieved on several humanitarian-related issues” tied to the ceasefire deal.

Meanwhile, Qatar, which is leading mediation efforts, stated that negotiations remain in their initial phase, even though they have entered their second week.

Talks have stalled on several contentious issues, with no substantial progress reported since the end of last week, as both parties accuse each other of obstructing a proposed 60-day truce involving the release of hostages and prisoners.