Gaza, June 2, 2025: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday demanded an independent investigation into the deaths of dozens of Palestinians near a U.S.-backed aid distribution center in Rafah, southern Gaza, after witnesses and local rescuers blamed the fatalities on Israeli gunfire, a claim strongly denied by the Israeli military.
According to Gaza’s Civil Defense Agency, at least 31 Palestinians were killed and 176 wounded on Sunday when gunfire erupted near the aid site. AFP photographs showed chaotic scenes, with civilians carrying away bodies and medics overwhelmed by patients with gunshot wounds at nearby hospitals.
The Israeli military, however, denied any involvement, stating that troops “did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site.” An army spokesperson, Effie Defrin, accused Hamas of spreading disinformation to sabotage aid efforts, and promised to review the reports.
“I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday,” Guterres said in a statement. “It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food. I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.”
Eyewitnesses told AFP that the violence began when quadcopter drones and tanks opened fire as people gathered near the aid site.
“Several people were killed right in front of me,” said Sameh Hamuda, 33.
“The army opened fire from drones and tanks,” confirmed Abdullah Barbakh, 58.
Despite these accounts, both the Israeli military and the site’s operator — the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — denied that any attack had occurred. GHF claimed the reports were “fake” and “actively fomented by Hamas.”
The GHF has been running the U.S.-supported distribution center under a new aid mechanism that bypasses the traditional UN-led system. The UN has declined to collaborate with the foundation, citing concerns over its neutrality and links to Israeli military objectives.
The incident comes as international pressure mounts on Israel to ease the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, following more than two months of a near-total blockade that was only recently relaxed.
The UN has warned of impending famine, citing aid looting and shortages of essential supplies. Recent reports also indicate growing insecurity around distribution efforts, with incidents of theft and interference by armed groups.
Meanwhile, Israeli operations in Gaza have intensified since the collapse of a temporary ceasefire in March. On Monday, Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmud Bassal reported 14 more deaths, including six children and three women, following an Israeli airstrike on a home in Gaza City.
“The house shelters more than one family… and we don’t know the number of victims still buried under the rubble,” said local resident Mousa Al-Bursh.
The deadly incident occurred just as talks to reach a new ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement remain stalled. Hamas has signaled willingness to resume indirect negotiations, while Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered military operations to continue regardless of the talks.
According to Israel, 251 hostages were taken during Hamas’s October 2023 cross-border assault. Of these, 57 remain in captivity, including 34 presumed dead.
Since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, at least 4,201 people have been killed in Gaza, bringing the total death toll from the war to 54,470, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry — the vast majority of them civilians.
Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel left 1,218 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
