The people were reportedly collecting aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – a controversial organisation backed by Israel and the US.
At least 30 people have been killed and more than 115 have been injured in an Israeli attack near an aid distribution hub run by a US-backed organisation, according to a Palestinian news agency and Hamas-linked media.
The reports emerged as a hospital run by the Red Cross said at least 21 people have been killed and another 175 have been wounded as they went to receive aid from the same foundation – which is backed by both Israel and the US.
Eyewitnesses said the deaths came after Israeli forces opened fire at a roundabout near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation hub.
However, Palestinian and Hamas-linked media has attributed the deaths it has reported on to an Israeli airstrike.
Conflicting Death Tolls Emerge
The shocking incident on Sunday, June 1, has resulted in dramatically different casualty figures from various sources.
Palestinian news agency WAFA and Hamas-affiliated media said on Sunday, June 1 that at least 30 people were killed and more than 115 injured in what they described as an Israeli attack near the aid distribution point in Rafah.
Meanwhile, officials at the field hospital said another 175 people were wounded, with the Red Cross-run facility confirming it had received 21 bodies.
Witnesses: ‘They opened heavy fire directly toward us’
Multiple eyewitnesses have come forward with harrowing accounts of what they say was direct gunfire from Israeli forces.
Ibrahim Abu Saoud, a 40-year-old witness, told reporters: “There were many martyrs, including women” and “They opened heavy fire directly toward us.
Witnesses have said those killed and injured were struck by gunfire which broke out at a roundabout near the distribution site, an area controlled by Israeli forces.
An Associated Press reporter on the scene saw dozens of people being treated at the hospital.
Israeli Military Yet to Respond
There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported attack, despite multiple requests from international media outlets.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the US-backed organisation running the aid distribution, has previously denied reports of violence at its sites. In an earlier statement, it said it distributed 16 truckloads of aid early on Sunday “without incident.
Controversial Aid System Under Fire
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s operations have been mired in controversy since their launch earlier this week. The private organisation, backed by both the United States and Israel, has faced fierce criticism from the United Nations and major aid groups.
Jonathan Whittall, a senior U.N. humanitarian official, described the aid program in a news briefing as “engineered scarcity”, with distribution hubs secured by private US security contractors.
U.N. agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles because it allows Israel to control who receives aid.
A Week of Chaos and Violence
This latest incident caps off a tumultuous first week for the controversial aid distribution system:
- Tuesday, May 27: U.N. officials said as many as 50 people appeared to have been shot and injured near a distribution site on the operation’s first full day
- Wednesday, May 28: More than 62 others have also been injured as Israeli soldiers fire at hungry people at aid point in Rafah
- Sunday, June 1: The deadliest incident yet, with casualty figures ranging from 21 to 30 killed
Desperate Conditions Drive Palestinians to Risk
The chaos at aid distribution sites underscores the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the U.N. has said 2 million people are at risk of famine after Israel’s 11-week blockade on aid entering the enclave.
One Palestinian told Reuters: “Before the war, my fridge used to be full of meat, chicken, dairy, soft drinks, everything, and now I am begging for a loaf of bread.
International Condemnation Growing
The controversial aid system has drawn sharp criticism from humanitarian organisations worldwide. The foundation’s executive director, Jake Wood, resigned May 25 — just ahead of the aid launch — saying the plans were not consistent with what he called the “humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
Death Toll Continues to Mount
The ongoing conflict has taken a devastating toll on Gaza’s population. Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The offensive has destroyed vast areas of the territory, displaced around 90% of its population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid.
As the sun set over Rafah on Sunday evening, families were still searching for loved ones, with the Red Cross field hospital overwhelmed by the influx of casualties. The international community watches with growing alarm as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, with even the distribution of life-saving aid now becoming a deadly endeavor.
Image credit: Gaza envelope after coordinated surprise offensive on Israel, October 2023 (KBG GPO05) by Kobi Gideon / Government Press Office of Israel, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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