On Saturday, Israeli forces shot at groups of Palestinians who were trying to get food from distribution centers run by a U.S.- and Israeli-supported organization in southern Gaza. This led to the heartbreaking loss of 32 lives, according to witnesses and hospital officials.

The two incident took place close to hubs run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. In another violent incident, health officials reported that two Palestinians were killed due to an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started its work in late May, with help from both the U.S. and Israel. The two countries want to change the usual U.N.-led aid distribution system in Gaza, claiming that Hamas militants misuse the supplies. The U.N. has denied these accusations.

The GHF says it has supplied millions of meals to Palestinians who are starving, local health officials and witnesses say that hundreds have died from Israeli army fire while trying to reach the distribution centers.

The army, which does not control the sites but protects them from a distance, says it only fires warning shots if crowds get too close to its forces. The GHF, which uses private armed security, insists that there have been no deadly shootings at its locations; however, this week, 20 people died at one of its sites, most of whom were killed in a stampede. The organization blamed Hamas instigators for causing panic, but did not provide proof to back this claim.

In a statement, the GHF mentioned that there were no incidents at or around its facilities. They noted that the reported Israeli gunfire took place far from the sites and several hours before they opened.

Israel military said that they fired “warning shots” near Rafah after a group of individuals approached their soldiers, ignoring orders to keep their distance. We have consistently advised aid seekers to avoid coming to our locations during the night and early morning hours. They also indicated that they are investigating reports of injuries, but stated that the incident happened overnight when the aid distribution site was not in operation.

Random shooting

Most of the deaths on Saturday occurred as Palestinians gathered in the Teina area, which is about two miles from a GHF aid distribution center located east of Khan Younis.

Mahmoud Mokeimar, who saw what happened, said he was walking with a big crowd — mostly young men — going towards the food distribution center. The troops fired warning shots as the crowd moved forward, and then they started shooting at those who got closer.

“It was a massacre… They shot at us without caring.,” he said. He managed to escape but saw at least three dead bodies on the ground, along with many others who were hurt and running away.

Akram Aker, another person who witnessed the event, said that troops were shooting machine guns from tanks and drones. He mentioned that the shooting began between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.

“They surrounded us and began shooting directly at us,” he said, noticing many casualties lying on the ground.

Sanaa al-Jaberi, a 55-year-old woman, talked about seeing many dead and injured people as she ran away from the area.

“We yelled: ‘food, food,’ but they didn’t respond. They just opened fire,” she recalled.

Monzer Fesifes, a Palestinian-Jordanian, shared that his 19-year-old son Hisham was one of those killed in the Teina region. “He went to get food from the ineffective US, Zionist aid to help us,” said the father of six, asking the Jordanian government to help get them out of the Palestinian enclave.

The Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported that they received 25 bodies, along with several persons wounded.

In the Shakoush area, seven people, including one woman, tragically lost their lives, according to the hospital that is located a few hundred meters north of another GHF center in Rafah, which is the southernmost city in Gaza. The health ministry confirmed this death toll.

Dr. Mohamed Saker, who is in charge of the nursing department at Nasser, mentioned that the hospital has treated 70 injured patients. He told The Associated Press that most of the victims had gunshot wounds to their heads and chests, and some were taken to the already overloaded intensive care unit.

“The situation is really bad and heartbreaking,” he said, stressing the urgent need for essential medical supplies to handle the rising number of casualties.

Meanwhile, Fares Awad, who leads the Health Ministry’s ambulance and emergency services in northern Gaza, confirmed two deaths in Gaza City. He reported that an airstrike hit a tent in a camp for displaced families, which is located in the courtyard of the Development Ministry. More information about the target of the strike has not been provided.

The Israeli army stated that it had targeted around 90 locations throughout Gaza in the last 24 hours, claiming that it had taken out militants and focused on “terror infrastructure” in both northern Gaza and Gaza City.

Humanitarian crisis

More than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are currently experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis, with the region dangerously close to famine, according to food security experts.

The process of distributing aid at the GHF sites has often been disorganized. Food boxes are frequently left piled on the ground inside the centers, and when they are opened, crowds rush in to take whatever they can, based on reports from eyewitnesses and videos shared by GHF itself.

In footage recently obtained by the AP from an American contractor working with GHF, you can see contractors using tear gas and stun grenades to manage the situation behind metal barriers or to disperse the crowds. Gunfire can also be heard.
Hamas started the ongoing 21-month conflict in Gaza when terrorists attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 250 others.

An Israeli military operation has reportedly led to the deaths of over 58,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas. This military action has displaced nearly all of Gaza’s 2 million residents and caused widespread destruction.

The ministry does not specify how many of the deceased were militants, but it claims that more than half of the casualties were women and children. Even though the ministry is part of the Hamas government, the U.N. and other international organizations view it as the most reliable source of information on war casualties.

Israel and Hamas have been engaged in ceasefire discussions in Qatar in recent weeks. However, international mediators report that there has been no breakthrough in ending the conflict.