CAIRO, June 24 — Hopes of peace were shattered in Gaza on Tuesday, as at least 40 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured in a fresh wave of Israeli strikes and gunfire, despite a newly announced ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran.
The deal, brokered with support from U.S. President Donald Trump and aimed at ending air hostilities between the two arch-rivals, had briefly kindled hope among war-weary Palestinians. After more than 20 months of relentless war, widespread displacement, and rampant malnutrition in Gaza, some believed relief was finally near.
But for residents on the ground, nothing changed.
“Enough! The whole universe has let us down,” said 62-year-old Adel Farouk from Gaza City. “Hezbollah made a deal without us. Now Iran has too. We hope Gaza is next.”
Farouk’s frustration echoed across the strip just before twin explosions rocked Tehran. In a rare moment of raw emotion, President Trump accused both Israel and Iran of breaking the ceasefire, but he reserved particular anger for Israel, rebuking it in an uncharacteristic outburst.
Violence on the Ground
Despite diplomatic movement, Israeli military operations inside Gaza showed no signs of slowing. One of the deadliest incidents occurred near an aid distribution point in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp.
According to Marwan Abu Naser of Al-Awda Hospital, 19 people were killed and 146 wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on crowds attempting to reach the aid centre run by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The Israeli military acknowledged a gathering near its forces in Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor overnight, adding that it was “reviewing reports of casualties.”
However, GHF disputed that any incident had occurred near its distribution site, claiming in an email to Reuters that their location is several kilometres away from the area where the shooting took place.
For days, desperate civilians have lined Gaza’s roads, hoping to snatch flour from aid trucks, only to come under fire. Aid deliveries have become a matter of life and death.
Aid Under Fire
The current delivery system, channelled through GHF and heavily monitored by Israeli forces, has drawn sharp criticism from international aid groups.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), called the mechanism an “abomination” and “a death trap,” citing both security concerns and violations of humanitarian neutrality.
Israel defends the process, arguing that it’s the only way to prevent Hamas from seizing aid. The Islamist group, however, denies any interference in the distribution process.
More Deaths in Gaza City and Khan Younis
Meanwhile, in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike leveled a house, killing 10 people, according to local medics. In the southern city of Khan Younis, 11 more were reported dead following gunfire from Israeli forces.
With Tuesday’s toll climbing past 40, the so-called ceasefire appears to have skipped Gaza — once again leaving its people caught between promises of peace and the brutal reality of war.
