59 Palestinians Killed in Gaza; Israeli Forces Fire on Aid Seekers

GAZA – Israeli forces killed at least 59 Palestinians across Gaza on Sunday, including 17 civilians who were trying to collect food from aid distribution points run by the United States and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Eyewitnesses and medics described chaotic scenes as Israeli troops opened fire on desperate crowds gathered at aid sites, particularly near the Netzarim Corridor. Survivors said there were no warnings issued before gunfire erupted. The aid locations, operated by the GHF, have increasingly become scenes of mass casualties, with critics labeling them “human slaughterhouses.”

Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah, said, “People have told us that the Israeli military did not warn the hungry crowds before opening fire on them, leading to devastating civilian casualties.” Locals now fear the aid sites more than the hunger they’re trying to escape.

Dozens Injured as People Flee in Panic

At al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza, medics confirmed that three people were killed and dozens injured in one incident near a GHF aid hub. The wounded were mostly civilians, including children and elderly people, who had gathered in hopes of receiving basic food parcels.

In southern Gaza, reports say at least 10 more Palestinians were killed and over 50 others injured while approaching another GHF site. Many victims were rushed to the Red Cross Hospital in Rafah, which is already overwhelmed due to repeated Israeli assaults on nearby areas.

Ahmed al-Masri, one of the survivors, said he left the aid point empty-handed and in shock. “It was a trap,” he said. “We went there for food. We found bullets.”

GHF began distributing aid in late May, following Israel’s partial easing of its three-month total blockade. However, the aid deliveries have come at a brutal cost. Human rights groups and local activists now accuse the GHF and Israeli authorities of weaponising humanitarian aid by using distribution points to control and punish the population.

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Airstrikes Continue Across Gaza Strip

Beyond the attacks at aid sites, Israeli air raids also pounded various areas of Gaza on Sunday. In the south, 12 people were killed in multiple strikes, while seven others died when Israeli warplanes targeted a group in Beit Lahiya, in the north.

In central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, eight Palestinians were killed when a residential building was struck. Local outlet Wafa News Agency reported several others wounded in the attack. Witnesses said families had been sheltering in the building, assuming it was safe from aerial strikes.

The Ministry of Health and several NGOs report that hundreds of Palestinians have died in recent days under similar conditions—many while standing in line for aid. Despite worsening famine conditions and the spread of disease, aid seekers face sniper fire, airstrikes, and bombings on a daily basis.

GHF Faces Mounting Criticism

As civilian casualties mount, criticism of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation grows louder. Critics argue the organization’s distribution points serve military objectives under the guise of humanitarian relief. Many Palestinians now view GHF hubs as “execution sites” rather than safe zones.

Tareq Abu Azzoum of Al Jazeera stated, “Palestinians are beginning to see GHF sites not as places of relief, but of death. Each day, these so-called aid points turn into battlegrounds.”

Despite widespread condemnation and mounting evidence of indiscriminate force, the Israeli military has not issued any statement on the Sunday killings. On Saturday alone, 79 Palestinians were killed, most of them while attempting to access food.

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