Gaza, July 4, 2025: More than 300 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past 48 hours, according to the Gaza Government Media Office, which accused Israeli forces of carrying out 26 massacres across the besieged territory.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 118 people were killed and 581 wounded in the last 24 hours alone. Among the dead were 33 civilians seeking food aid near sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—a controversial entity backed by Israel and the United States.
Strikes targeted displacement camps and shelters. In one instance, 13 people were killed when Israeli forces bombed a tent in al-Mawasi, while 16 others died in an attack on Mustafa Hafez School, which was sheltering displaced families west of Gaza City.
“We woke up to fierce airstrikes that felt like an earthquake,” said Ahmed Mansour, a survivor taking refuge in the school. “Missiles set everything on fire. Victims were left burning for hours. There’s no one here to help us.”
According to the Gaza Government Media Office, recent strikes targeted overcrowded shelters, homes, markets, and public areas—many filled with families in search of food. The office said the attacks represent a deliberate strategy to terrorize and starve civilians.
Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah, described scenes of chaos and despair near GHF-run aid sites, where civilians waiting for food were met with “unprovoked gunfire.” Survivors said they had no warning before bullets tore through crowds. Emergency responders were unable to reach the wounded due to the intensity of the shooting.
The Associated Press (AP) published disturbing accounts from two U.S. security contractors guarding the aid sites, who alleged the use of live ammunition and stun grenades against desperate civilians. They described guards as untrained, unvetted, and heavily armed, often operating with impunity.
In response, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation issued a categorical denial, claiming its own investigation found the AP’s allegations to be “false.” The group said time-stamped footage and witness statements showed no civilians were fired upon, asserting that any gunfire came from Israeli forces positioned outside the site and was not directed at the crowd. However, no evidence was publicly provided.
Israeli outlet Haaretz reported that some Israeli soldiers admitted they were ordered to deliberately fire at unarmed Palestinians seeking aid. Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, said the GHF has functioned not as a humanitarian entity, but as a tool of pressure and control over Gaza’s civilian population.
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir reportedly said this week that no aid should enter Gaza, insisting it undermines Israel’s objectives.
Dr. Mads Gilbert, a Norwegian physician with decades of experience in Gaza, described the GHF operation as a “sham,” intended to lure starving people into vulnerable situations. “Using food as bait and shooting people in food lines is not only inhumane—it’s a war crime,” he said.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has also called for an investigation into the killings, noting that the GHF has only four distribution centers across Gaza—none in the devastated north—compared to UNRWA’s 400 humanitarian sites before the war. UNRWA has urged the UN to take full control of aid distribution.
Meanwhile, more than 130 humanitarian organizations, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and Amnesty International, have demanded an immediate shutdown of GHF, accusing it of facilitating violence against starving civilians. Since its launch in late May, GHF-related aid sites have been linked to the deaths of over 650 Palestinians and injuries to nearly 4,000 others.
On the diplomatic front, Hamas said it is reviewing a 60-day ceasefire proposal, seeking a deal that would end Israel’s offensive and ensure a complete withdrawal of its forces from Gaza. The announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Israel had accepted the ceasefire plan and urged Hamas to respond before conditions deteriorate further.
