An elderly man has died after sustaining severe injuries when an air-dropped aid box struck a tent sheltering displaced families in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to medical officials at Nasser Hospital.

The incident highlights growing concerns over the dangers of air-dropping supplies into the besieged enclave, where more than two million people face acute food shortages.

Fatal Incident Amid Aid Shortages

Witnesses reported that the aid box fell directly onto a makeshift tent, where displaced Palestinians had gathered. Despite immediate medical attention, the elderly victim succumbed to his injuries. Hospital staff confirmed the cause of death as trauma from the falling pallet.

This marks the latest casualty linked to air-dropped aid in Gaza. In recent weeks, several others have been killed or injured under similar circumstances, raising questions about the safety and effectiveness of such operations.

Air Drops Under Fire

Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that air-drops, while visually dramatic, are a dangerous and inefficient way to deliver humanitarian assistance. Boxes and pallets often miss designated drop zones, landing on crowded areas or in unsafe locations.

Humanitarian groups emphasize that Gaza’s crisis cannot be addressed through sporadic air deliveries. Instead, they stress the urgent need for consistent and large-scale aid access through land crossings, which remain heavily restricted.

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Israeli Forces Kill 11 Palestinians in Gaza Since Dawn

Israeli forces kill 11 Palestinians in Gaza since dawn, with strikes reported across the besieged enclave. Among the dead are four people who had gathered to receive aid, highlighting the worsening humanitarian crisis as hunger and displacement intensify under Israel’s blockade and bombardment.

Aid Seekers Among the Dead

Al Jazeera Arabic reported that Israeli attacks since early morning have killed at least 11 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip. Four of the victims were aid seekers who had gathered near distribution points, where desperate families risk their lives to access food and supplies.

Amnesty International published new testimonies from displaced Palestinians, stating that Israel is “carrying out a deliberate campaign of starvation” in Gaza. Witnesses described hunger, fear, and the collapse of communal solidarity as survival becomes the only instinct.

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Testimonies of Hunger and Desperation

Abu Alaa, a 62-year-old man displaced from Jabalia refugee camp, told Amnesty he survives on a single meal of lentil soup daily. Bread, he said, is only available once a week, and fruit has not reached his table in months.

“I can tolerate the hunger, but children cannot,” he said. He described the chaos at aid sites where crowds scramble for survival. “In the past, we used to support each other, especially those in need. Now people are just led by the instinct to survive.”

Nahed, a 66-year-old Palestinian, echoed this despair. He said the situation near aid points has “denied people their humanity.” He recalled seeing bags of flour stained with blood after Israeli forces opened fire on desperate civilians.

Calls for Land Access

International relief organizations argue that opening land routes is the only viable way to provide enough food, medicine, and shelter to Gaza’s starving population.

“Air-drops are not a solution,” one aid official said. “They create risks for civilians on the ground and fail to meet the massive humanitarian needs. The only way to prevent famine is through the immediate and unrestricted entry of aid via land crossings.”

Escalating Humanitarian Catastrophe

The United Nations has warned that Gaza is on the brink of famine. With the vast majority of its 2.3 million residents displaced, makeshift shelters such as tents in Khan Younis and Rafah are now overcrowded and vulnerable.

As the war continues, humanitarian conditions worsen by the day. For many, the tragic death of the elderly man in Khan Younis has become a grim reminder that even lifesaving aid, when delivered through unsafe methods, can turn deadly.

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