The 31 Palestinians who were shot dead were en route to a distribution site operated by the Israeli-backed American organisation Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), located near Rafah in southern Gaza, hospital officials and witnesses confirmed
A Palestinian man checks the damage in the aftermath of an overnight Israeli strike that hit Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip. Pic/AFP
At least 31 Palestinians were fatally shot on Saturday while attempting to reach an aid distribution site in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli airstrikes simultaneously killed at least 28 Palestinians, including four children, according to Palestinian hospital officials and witnesses.
According to AP, there were no immediate signs of a breakthrough in ceasefire talks following two days of meetings between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump had previously indicated he was nearing an agreement between Israel and Hamas that could potentially wind down the ongoing conflict.
The 31 Palestinians who were shot dead were en route to a distribution site operated by the Israeli-backed American organisation Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), located near Rafah in southern Gaza, hospital officials and witnesses confirmed.
The Red Cross stated that its field hospital experienced its largest influx of fatalities in over a year of operation after these shootings, noting that the overwhelming majority of the more than 100 injured individuals had gunshot wounds.
Moreover, airstrikes in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah killed 13 people, including four children, officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported. Fifteen others were killed in Khan Younis in the south, according to Nasser Hospital. Israel’s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Intense airstrikes continued on Saturday evening in the area of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. In Israel, citizens rallied once again for a ceasefire deal. Former hostage Eli Sharabi commented on Israeli leaders, stating, “Arrogance is what brought the disaster upon us.”
Meanwhile, a 21-month war has left much of Gaza’s population of over two million reliant on external aid, while food-security experts warn of impending famine. Israel had blocked and then restricted aid entry after ending the latest ceasefire in March, according to AP.
“All responsive individuals reported they were attempting to access food distribution sites,” the Red Cross said after the shootings near Rafah, highlighting the “alarming frequency and scale” of such mass-casualty incidents.
Conversely, Israel’s military stated it fired warning shots towards individuals it described as behaving suspiciously to prevent them from approaching. It claimed to be unaware of any casualties. The GHF denied that any incident occurred near its sites. Abdullah al‑Haddad recounted being 200 metres (655 feet) from the GHF aid-distribution site near the Shakoush area when an Israeli tank began firing at crowds of Palestinians. “We were together, and they shot us at once,” he said, writhing in pain from a leg wound at Nasser Hospital. Mohammed Jamal al‑Sahloo, another witness, claimed Israel’s military had instructed them to proceed to the site when the shooting commenced.
Moreover, Sumaya al‑Sha’er’s 17‑year‑old son, Nasir, was killed, hospital officials confirmed. “He said to me, ‘Mum, you don’t have flour and today I’ll go and bring you flour, even if I die, I’ll go and get it,’” she tearfully recounted. “But he never came back home.” Until then, she said, she had prevented the teenager from going to GHF sites because she considered it too dangerous.
According to AP, witnesses, health officials and UN personnel assert that hundreds have been killed by Israeli fire while heading towards GHF distribution points through military zones, which are off-limits to independent media. The military has acknowledged firing warning shots at Palestinians who it says approached its forces in a suspicious manner.
Meanwhile, the GHF denies any violence in or around its sites. However, two of its contractors told AP that their colleagues had fired live ammunition and stun grenades as Palestinians scrambled for food — allegations the foundation denied.
In a separate effort, the UN and aid groups report that they are struggling to distribute humanitarian aid due to Israeli military restrictions and a breakdown in law and order that has led to widespread looting. The first consignment of fuel — 150,000 litres — entered Gaza this week after 130 days, a joint statement by UN aid bodies said, calling it a “small amount for the backbone of survival in Gaza.” Fuel, the statement explained, is vital for hospitals, water systems, transport and more.
While Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in their 7 October 2023 attack on Israel and abducted 251, Hamas still holds approximately 50 hostages, with at least 20 believed to remain alive. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 57,800 Palestinians, more than half of whom are women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The ministry, under Gaza’s Hamas-run government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. The UN and other international organisations consider its figures to be the most reliable statistics on war casualties.
Friends and relatives paid their respects a day after Palestinian-American Seifeddin Musalat and local friend Mohammed al‑Shalabi were killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Musalat was beaten to death by Israeli settlers on his family’s land, his cousin Diana Halum told reporters. She added that the settlers then blocked paramedics from reaching him. Musalat, born in Florida, was visiting his family home. His family wants the US State Department to investigate his death and hold the settlers accountable.
The State Department stated it was aware of reports of his death but offered no comment out of respect for the family. A witness, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid Israeli retaliation, said the settlers descended on Palestinian lands and “started shooting at us, beating with sticks and throwing rocks.”
Israel’s military has stated Palestinians hurled rocks at Israelis in the area earlier on Friday, lightly wounding two people and setting off a larger confrontation.
Palestinians and human‑rights groups have long accused the military of ignoring settler violence, which has spiked, along with Palestinian attacks and Israeli military raids, since the war in Gaza began.
(With inputs from AP)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
