DaysofPal – Israeli troops and American security contractors opened fire on crowds gathered for food near two aid distribution points in Gaza on Sunday, one near the Wadi Gaza Bridge and the other in the al-Alam neighborhood east of Rafah, killing at least 13 Palestinians and wounding more than 150.
The deadly incident marks the latest in a series of violent episodes tied to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). This controversial US-Israeli initiative has faced mounting criticism for its operations in Israeli-controlled zones. Since the GHF program began on May 27, more than 130 people have been killed and over 700 injured while attempting to access food parcels, according to local health officials. At least nine people remain missing.
The Gaza Government Media Office condemned the aid delivery model, describing the sites as “human slaughterhouses.” In a statement, it declared, “These are war crimes and crimes against humanity” and called for an independent international investigation and the immediate suspension of the GHF’s activities.
Witnesses described a scene of desperation and terror early Sunday morning, when hundreds of starving Palestinians gathered in hopes of securing food. “After about an hour and a half, hundreds moved toward the site, and the army opened fire,” said Abdallah Nour al-Din, who was present in al-Alam.
The Israeli military claimed its troops fired on individuals who “continued advancing in a way that endangered the soldiers,” asserting that the area had been designated an “active combat zone” during the night. However, survivors say the shooting occurred well after sunrise.
“This is a trap for us, not aid,” said Adham Dahman, speaking from Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. Dahman, with a bloodied bandage on his chin, told the Associated Press that a tank fired at the crowd as people scrambled for cover.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported receiving 13 wounded individuals and one deceased person at its clinic in al-Mawasi, near Khan Younis. “The injured were carried in donkey carts, on bicycles, or on foot,” MSF said. All the wounded were men between 17 and 30 years old, many of whom said they were shot while trying to reach food in the Shakoush area near the Saudi village.
Footage outside Gaza’s hospitals showed families weeping over blood-soaked shrouds as emergency workers rushed to treat survivors. The mounting civilian casualties have provoked international condemnation.
UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, described the GHF’s operations as “humanitarian camouflage” and “an essential tactic of this genocide.” In a social media post, she blamed “the moral and political corruption of the world” for enabling Gaza’s destruction.
Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, echoed these concerns: “Today’s deadly attacks in the south show that the GHF is insufficient in the way it’s running aid delivery.” He noted that in northern Gaza, the humanitarian crisis is deepening. “People are not just spending hours searching for water and food, they are spending the entire day,” he said. “By the end of it, many are completely exhausted and dehydrated, simply because they could not find anything.”
Despite the mounting evidence, an unnamed GHF official denied any violence at the group’s distribution sites. According to the Associated Press, all three GHF aid centers operated on Sunday without incident, according to the official.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that the overall death toll from Israel’s ongoing war has now reached 54,880, with more than 126,000 injured since October 7, 2023. Since the end of the last ceasefire on March 18, at least 4,603 Palestinians have been killed and over 14,000 wounded.
The ministry said that in the last 24 hours alone, Israeli strikes killed 108 people and injured nearly 400 others across the enclave.
Hospitals, already on the brink of collapse, are struggling to cope with the surge in demand. In the last two weeks, Rafah’s Red Cross Field Hospital has reported 12 mass casualty emergencies, receiving over 900 wounded, 41 of whom were already dead when they arrived, many of whom were shot close to food distribution locations.
At Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, a spokesperson warned that fuel for Gaza’s health facilities may run out within 48 hours. “The hospital’s artificial kidney department is out of service due to the occupation’s attacks,” he said.
In Gaza City, the director of al-Shifa Hospital issued a dire warning: “We are facing a real disaster in the hospital if electricity is not provided,” noting that the lives of 300 patients with kidney failure are at risk.
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