DaysofPal – Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) launched a deadly assault on Tuesday morning, targeting Palestinian civilians gathered near a U.S.-supervised aid distribution point in western Rafah, southern Gaza. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 30 people and left over 200 others wounded, according to medical sources and eyewitnesses.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed that 24 bodies had been transferred to hospitals in the southern region, with dozens more injured — many in critical condition — following the strike in the Al-Alam area, where desperate civilians had assembled in hopes of receiving food.
Eyewitnesses and local journalists reported that Israeli forces opened fire directly at the crowd, echoing previous massacres in recent weeks that targeted residents suffering from extreme hunger due to the ongoing siege. Among the identified victims were:
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Ibrahim Khaled Abu Zurqa
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Basel Shaban Abu Alwan
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Kamel Mahmoud Arafat
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Haitham Jumaa
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Mahmoud Marwan Al-Nahal
According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, this latest atrocity raises the death toll near aid distribution centers to 49, with over 305 injured since May 27 — the date when the controversial aid mechanism was launched in Rafah and the Wadi Gaza region (near the Netzarim corridor).
The aid is being distributed through a new entity called the Gaza Humanitarian Relief Foundation, backed by Israeli and U.S. authorities. However, the mechanism has faced widespread rejection from Palestinian officials and international humanitarian organizations. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini previously described the process as “a waste of resources and a distraction from the atrocities committed during the ongoing Israeli military campaign.”
Since its inception, the aid system has been plagued by disorder and deadly violence. Multiple fatal incidents have occurred at distribution sites, particularly in Rafah, where thousands of displaced and starving Palestinians are forced to risk their lives in search of basic sustenance.
This latest massacre comes as international organizations issue increasingly dire warnings about the total collapse of Gaza’s humanitarian infrastructure. Continued Israeli military operations, mass displacement, and severe shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies have plunged the population into what many describe as a man-made catastrophe.
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