, July 31 -- At least 48 Palestinians were killed and many others wounded on Wednesday while waiting for food at the Zikim Crossing in Gaza, according to a hospital treating the injured. The deadly incident came amid ongoing tensions over humanitarian aid distribution, as the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East prepares to visit Israel for talks.

The ongoing Israeli military campaign and blockade have created what experts are calling a "worst-case scenario of famine" in Gaza, home to around 2 million people. Aid convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by large, desperate crowds as law and order continues to break down.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been working to bring an end to the nearly two-year conflict and secure the relea...