Rafah: At least 23 Palestinians have been killed and more than 200 injured after Israeli troops opened fire near a food distribution site operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in Rafah, according to medical sources.
The shooting is the latest in a series of deadly incidents at or near aid sites in Gaza, where hundreds of Palestinians have been killed while seeking food since Israel introduced a new aid distribution system that replaced UN-led efforts with the GHF.
Eyewitnesses say a drone opened fire as crowds approached the centre. “We were walking on our way to get the aid when a quadcopter started firing at us,” said one relative of a victim. “We began to flee, but he was hit by gunfire from the quad.”
Gazan doctor Ahmed Alfara, who treated the wounded, said many were targeted by sniper fire. “As you see, it is a gunshot to the head, the brain matter is out,” he said, calling the attacks “one of the most catastrophic consequences of this aid distribution system.”
There was no immediate response from the Israeli military, but in past incidents, Israel has acknowledged firing near aid centres and blamed Hamas militants for triggering violence. Hamas has denied these claims and accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war.
Later on Monday, another round of Israeli gunfire reportedly killed five more people along Gaza’s coastal road, where large crowds had gathered in anticipation of UN-funded aid trucks reaching northern Gaza. Witnesses say some Palestinians looted four truckloads of food out of desperation.
Sunday also saw deadly scenes: at least five people were killed when thousands approached two GHF distribution centres in central and southern Gaza. In a statement, the GHF said it had resumed operations that day, distributing more than two million meals “without incident.”
Despite GHF’s assurances, frontline medical workers and aid groups continue to voice alarm. “This is a 100 percent failure,” Dr. Alfara said. “No one can get that aid.” The UN and other international organizations have rejected the current aid system, calling it unsafe, ineffective, and contrary to humanitarian principles.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said Israel had "weaponised food in Gaza" and called for investigations into the repeated killings near aid sites. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini condemned the current arrangement as a "lethal distribution system" and reiterated that much-needed aid remains blocked at the border by Israeli restrictions.
Before the new GHF-led system began in late May, UN agencies with established local teams provided aid across hundreds of distribution points. Since the shift, at least 300 Palestinians have reportedly been killed and more than 2,600 wounded near aid centres.
Israel has argued the change was necessary to prevent Hamas from diverting aid, but the group denies this. Human rights groups and UN officials maintain that civilian suffering has only worsened.
The situation in Gaza remains dire. Israel's ongoing military campaign, launched after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 hostages taken, has now killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health authorities. Most of the victims are believed to be civilians.
Nearly the entire population of Gaza has been displaced. Hunger, malnutrition, and a total breakdown in public services are becoming more widespread as the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.
