Gaza: At least 34 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to reports. The toll includes eight people fatally shot near an aid distribution point west of Rafah, intensifying concerns over worsening humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent warned that al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis has become unreachable due to intensified Israeli military operations. The surrounding area has been declared a “dangerous combat zone,” and evacuation orders have been issued by the Israeli army. The organization appealed to international bodies to intervene, protect medical facilities, and secure safe corridors for aid and medical access.
Thousands of Palestinians have been gathering daily at the al-Alam roundabout in Rafah since late May, attempting to access humanitarian assistance from a distribution center operated by the US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), located roughly one kilometer away.
Samir Abu Hadid, an eyewitness present at the scene early Saturday, told AFP that Israeli forces opened fire as crowds moved toward the aid hub. “They first fired in the air and then at civilians,” he said.
The Israeli military has not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
The GHF had announced on Friday that it was suspending its operations due to escalating violence near its distribution sites. "Our distribution points will remain closed until further notice," a spokesperson confirmed, despite warnings from aid agencies that the region is on the edge of famine.
Although Israel eased a blockade on aid deliveries last month—originally imposed on March 2—international organizations and rights groups have reported that the volume of aid entering Gaza remains insufficient to meet critical needs. The United Nations, which has declined to collaborate with GHF due to concerns over neutrality, has stated that the entire population of Gaza—more than two million people—is at risk of starvation.
In a related development, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that the remains of Thai national Nattapong Pinta had been recovered from Rafah. Pinta, an agricultural worker, was abducted during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led incursion on Kibbutz Nir Oz. Israeli officials said he had been held by the Mujahideen Brigades, a Palestinian armed faction. His body was found alongside those of two Israeli-American hostages retrieved earlier in the week. Thai authorities have been informed of the recovery.
