CAIRO – At least 30 Palestinians were killed and more than 115 injured in an Israeli attack near an aid distribution point in Rafah, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA and Hamas-linked media sources. The strike reportedly occurred near a site operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group recently established to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Hamas condemned the attack, claiming it targeted civilians near the GHF compound. The group also accused Israel of killing three Palestinians and injuring 46 others at the same site on May 28, though GHF denied those allegations.
There was no immediate response from Israeli authorities regarding Sunday’s incident. However, the Israeli military has previously acknowledged firing warning shots near the GHF facility to disperse crowds and reassert control, citing concerns over large gatherings at distribution points.
The GHF, controversially supported by Israel, was launched to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Gaza. The foundation includes biometric screening procedures, which Israel says are designed to ensure aid does not reach individuals linked to Hamas. Some Palestinians have expressed skepticism over the group’s neutrality and motives.
The strike in Rafah comes amid mounting international criticism of Israel's military operations in southern Gaza, particularly around Rafah, where over a million Palestinians are believed to have taken shelter since the war escalated last year. Israel has maintained that operations in the area target Hamas infrastructure, but the civilian toll continues to rise.
International concern is also growing over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. A German government official recently stated that future arms deliveries to Israel may be contingent on how the situation in Gaza unfolds, reflecting a shift in European political pressure amid ongoing hostilities.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the volatile and deadly environment in which humanitarian organizations are attempting to operate, as well as the increasingly fragile efforts to deliver aid to a population enduring months of war, displacement, and siege.
Calls for a ceasefire and independent investigations into civilian casualties have intensified, with rights groups urging the international community to intervene and uphold humanitarian law in the conflict zone.
