GAZA — An Israeli drone strike killed at least 18 Palestinians on Thursday in a crowded market in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, following a reported clash between Hamas police officers and local vendors accused of price-gouging and selling stolen aid.
Witnesses said the strike hit a masked Hamas police unit dressed in civilian clothing. The group had attempted to enforce price controls on merchants accused of inflating costs and distributing looted goods. The confrontation escalated after some vendors reportedly pulled firearms, including a Kalashnikov rifle.
Shortly afterward, two missiles were fired from drones, according to residents. Footage from the scene shows bodies on the ground, panicked crowds, and ambulances ferrying the wounded to Al-Aqsa Hospital. A doctor at the facility confirmed to the media that 18 people were pronounced dead at the morgue. It remains unclear how many of the dead were police officers or civilians.
The Hamas-run Ministry of Interior condemned the strike, calling it “a new crime against a police unit tasked with maintaining public order.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not officially commented on the Deir al-Balah incident.
Earlier Thursday, 14 other Palestinians were confirmed dead following multiple Israeli military operations across Gaza. This included an incident near the Wadi Gaza bridge, where Israeli gunfire reportedly struck a crowd waiting for humanitarian aid. Three people died and others were injured, according to a medical source at Al-Awda Hospital.
The IDF stated that troops had identified a gathering near forces stationed in the Netzarim corridor and fired warning shots to prevent what they called “potential threats.” The military said its initial assessment did not match civilian casualty claims but confirmed it is reviewing the incident further.
Additional strikes killed five displaced individuals sheltering in a tent in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis. Another five died when an airstrike hit a school in western Gaza City. The IDF said it is investigating and requested exact coordinates and timing of the incidents.
The Gaza health ministry, operated by Hamas, now reports 56,259 deaths since Israel’s military campaign began in response to Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023. That attack killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and led to 251 hostages being taken.
Meanwhile, access to food in Gaza remains severely restricted. Eyewitnesses continue to report near-daily shootings around aid distribution points backed by the US- and Israel-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Aid remains scarce and expensive in local markets.
On Thursday, the GHF received $30 million in new US funding. The organization has faced criticism from international aid monitors over its operations and neutrality.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of stealing aid and ordered the military to prepare a new plan within two days to prevent further diversion of supplies. The claim followed video footage showing masked men atop aid trucks entering northern Gaza. Far-right Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, have called for halting aid until Hamas’s alleged control is removed.
Hamas and an independent tribal committee operating in Gaza denied these accusations. The committee stated that tribal leaders have coordinated aid distribution independently of Hamas.
In Gaza, humanitarian efforts continued as 6,000 food parcels were distributed from a warehouse with Hamas officials present. One woman receiving aid said, “When I woke up to the message telling me to go get aid, all my children started singing and dancing. I pray this blessing remains with us.”
The World Health Organization also confirmed it completed its first medical delivery to Gaza since March 2. The shipment included nine trucks of supplies, 2,000 units of blood, and 1,500 units of plasma. WHO stated the materials were delivered to Nasser Medical Complex and distributed to hospitals coping with injuries linked to violence at aid sites.
WHO’s chief said the supplies were “only a drop in the ocean,” given the scale of humanitarian need.
