Gaza, June 3, 2025: At least 27 Palestinians were killed and 90 others wounded early Tuesday when Israeli forces opened fire near an aid distribution site in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
The shooting took place at the Flag Roundabout, close to a humanitarian hub operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). This marks the third fatal incident in as many days near GHF’s Rafah site.
Health officials said the death toll was confirmed by Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Health Ministry’s records department. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that 184 wounded people were brought to its field hospital in Rafah. Of those, 19 were already dead upon arrival, and eight more later succumbed to their injuries.
Video footage verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency showed the chaotic arrival of dozens of injured civilians at the hospital.
Tuesday’s killings bring the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid in Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor to 102, with at least 490 wounded since GHF began operations on May 27, Gaza’s Government Media Office said.
Critics say the GHF centers — controversially established with U.S. and Israeli backing following an 11-week total blockade — have largely replaced United Nations and traditional aid channels and become hotspots of violence, looting, and disarray.
The Gaza Media Office accused Israel of committing “a horrific, intentionally repeated crime” by “luring starving Palestinians” to these sites only to fire upon them indiscriminately.
In a statement on Telegram, the Israeli military said its troops opened fire after “a number of suspects deviated from designated access routes.” It said the individuals were about 500 meters (550 yards) from the GHF aid site and claimed warning shots were initially fired.
“After the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced toward the troops,” the statement read. The military denied targeting civilians or blocking access to aid.
Eyewitnesses and reporters on the ground paint a different picture.
“There was gunfire from all directions,” said Rasha al-Nahal, a survivor. “More than a dozen people were lying dead on the road.” She added that when she finally reached the aid hub, no aid remained, and Israeli forces “fired at us as we were returning.”
Another witness, Neima al-Aaraj from Khan Younis, described the shooting as “indiscriminate.”
“I won’t return,” she said. “Either way, we will die.”
Reporting from central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said the chaos had become tragically routine.
“The Israeli forces just opened fire randomly, using quadcopters and live ammunition,” she reported. “Most victims had gunshot wounds to the chest and head.”
She added that, amid total breakdown of order, “There’s no process. There’s no system. You just need to run first to be able to get the food.”
The United Nations has called for an independent investigation into what it termed repeated “mass shootings of aid seekers.”
“It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for the perpetrators to be held accountable.”
