- At least 31 Palestinians killed, around 200 injured near a US-backed aid center in Gaza
- Gaza officials blame Israeli tank and drone fire on civilians gathering for food
- Incident occurred near Netzarim, southwest of Gaza City; additional strikes in Khan Younis killed 10 more
At least 31 people were killed and around 200 injured after Israeli forces opened fire near an aid distribution site in Gaza on Wednesday, according to local officials and health workers. The incident occurred near a food center supported by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), marking the latest in a string of deadly episodes linked to aid access.
Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli tank and drone fire struck crowds gathered to receive food.
“We transported at least 31 martyrs and about 200 wounded as a result of Israeli fire on thousands of citizens on their way to the American aid centre,” said agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal.
The Israeli military has not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Bassal noted that people had been assembling at the aid point since 2:00 a.m., hoping to receive essential supplies. He claimed that Israeli tanks fired intermittently and intensified their attacks around 5:30 a.m., while drones also targeted civilians.
Health workers at Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals reported that at least 25 people were killed near the former Netzarim settlement, southwest of Gaza City. An additional 10 fatalities were reported from separate Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Due to severe restrictions on media access and ongoing conflict conditions, independent verification of the casualty figures remains difficult.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid on May 27 amid growing international pressure on Israel over worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Several violent incidents have since occurred near its distribution points. In prior cases, the Israeli military claimed to have fired warning shots to deter individuals it considered threats.
The broader conflict was triggered by a Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, in which militants killed 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and took 251 hostages, making it the deadliest single day in Israel’s history.
In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has, according to Gaza health authorities, resulted in nearly 55,000 Palestinian deaths, the majority of them civilians. Large parts of Gaza have been devastated by the ongoing fighting.
