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A 15-year-old boy has been killed by an air-dropped aid package in central Gaza.
Muhannad Eid was running towards the heavy packages as they were parachuted into the territory when one crushed him, his brother said.
Footage shows five or more large pallets slamming into the ground in front ofthe ruins of buildings in Nuseirat as Gazans try to reach the aid.
The body, believed to be of Muhannad, is then seen in footage being dragged from underneath the crate and carried away from the crowds.
In March 2024, falling aid pallets were reported to have killed five Palestinians after parachutes used to slow the crates down failed to open properly.
The US and Jordan were among the countries taking part in aid drops at the time, but both of their militaries denied involvement in the deaths.
The UN and other aid groups have frequently criticised the aid drops, which are far more costly than trucks and deliver much less food, as being insufficient.
Planes drop aid packages by parachute over western Gaza City, Gaza. Photo / Getty Images
They have also warned that they risk killing the Palestinians they are intended to help.
Instead, UN agencies and other relief groups have for months been pushing Israel to allow more aid into Gaza by land on trucks and open up access to the territory to prevent starvation among its 2.2 million people, most of whom are displaced.
Palestinians wait to receive hot meals with their pots and pans in Deir Al Balah, Gaza. Photo / Getty Images
More than 1300 people have been killed trying to receive aid in the enclave since the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operating in May 2025, the UN has said, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites.
Israel denies having a policy of starvation in Gaza and said Hamas could end the crisis by surrendering. It also says Hamas and other groups are behind the killings.
The death of Muhannad comes as at least 18 people were killed across the enclave on Saturday (lol, including civilians waiting to collect aid, Gaza’s civil defence agency said.
At least six people were reportedly killed and 30 wounded after Israeli troops were accused of targeting civilians assembling near an aid point in central Gaza.
The other deaths were caused by airstrikes elsewhere in central Gaza.
Israeli restrictions on supplies into Gaza since the start of the war nearly two years ago have led to shortages of food and essential supplies, including medicine and fuel, which hospitals require to power their generators.
Despite mounting international pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s Government to end the war, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved plans early on Friday (local time) to seize Gaza City, moving towards a full takeover of the Strip.
Israel’s offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-run Gaza’s Health Ministry, figures the UN says are reliable. However, they do not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.
