DaysofPal – The Director of Emergency and Ambulance Services in northern Gaza, Fares Afaneh, has issued a stark warning: aid distribution centers in the besieged enclave have been turned into “death traps” for starving civilians, as Israeli forces continue to target these locations with deadly force.
In press remarks on Monday, Afaneh revealed that 35 Palestinians were killed within the past 24 hours near so-called “American aid” sites in Rafah, southern Gaza, by Israeli gunfire. He added that Israeli forces continue to obstruct ambulance crews, preventing them from reaching the wounded—further increasing the death toll and worsening the already dire humanitarian crisis.
Afaneh emphasized that Gaza’s healthcare system is in near-total collapse, systematically dismantled by Israel’s ongoing assaults. Hospitals, rescue teams, and civilian infrastructure are being deliberately targeted, as part of what he described as a broader campaign to cripple Gaza’s remaining lifelines.
On Sunday morning, Israeli soldiers—alongside operatives from a U.S.-based private security firm—carried out a brutal massacre at multiple humanitarian aid points, including in Rafah and along the Netzarim corridor. Eyewitnesses confirmed that armed personnel in U.S. security uniforms, assigned to guard the aid convoys, opened fire on civilians in coordination with Israeli troops. This has led to rising accusations of direct American complicity in the ongoing attacks.
Two Palestinians were killed and several others injured by Israeli army fire while attempting to reach the aid distribution center operated by the American security company west of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
The two killed are: Fathi Wael Al-Nahhal Ahmad and Mohammad Mahmoud… pic.twitter.com/gCgWUgUmoW
— Days of Palestine (@DaysOf_Pal) May 31, 2025
The incident marks a disturbing shift: while the U.S. continues to position itself as a provider of humanitarian aid, it is now directly implicated in military operations on the ground, not just through political and logistical support, but also through armed contractors participating in fatal assaults on civilians.
Despite Washington’s narrative of humanitarian concern, aid distribution centers are increasingly becoming sites of mass killing. Starving, displaced civilians—desperate for basic necessities like bread—are being gunned down as they gather in hopes of survival.
The death toll from Israeli assaults on aid sites coordinated by Israeli and U.S. forces has now reached at least 39 civilians killed and over 220 injured in less than a week. The majority of the victims are displaced, malnourished Palestinians, forced to risk their lives for access to food.
As calls for international accountability grow, this latest development underscores the urgent need for independent investigations into attacks on aid infrastructure, and for unimpeded humanitarian access to be restored immediately.
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