Dozens of Palestinians killed near Gaza aid distribution point, health officials say, in third day of shooting

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: CNN

Palestinians on their way to receive aid from a distribution site in southern Gaza have come under fire for a third consecutive day, with nearly 30 people killed and dozens wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and Nasser hospital.

The ministry said Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians as they made their way to the distribution site in Tel al-Sultan in Rafah early Tuesday.

The Israeli military said its forces opened fire multiple times after identifying “several suspects moving toward them, deviating from the designated access routes.”

“The troops carried out warning fire, and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced toward the troops,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement, which also said they are looking into reports of casualties.

Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/03/middleeast/gaza-rafah-shooting-aid-distribution-point-intl

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This is separate from the shooting at the same site on Sunday. And from other incidents on Monday. An explanation of why the GHF method of food distribution risks this:

The UN model is to take the aid to population centres – at 400 sites around the Gaza Strip. The new model – organised by the private Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and overseen by American security contractors – is based on big distribution centres to which Palestinians need to go.

These hubs are secured by the Israeli military so by design they are located behind the front line. That, at least, is the case with the one in southern Gaza where the shootings have happened.

This means thousands of hungry civilians are forced into close proximity to Israeli soldiers.

There is also a certain amount of chaos built into the system. The UN distributes aid based on a registry of the population, so everyone is guaranteed to get food. That doesn’t happen at the new distribution hubs.

Video issued by the GHF shows that boxes of food are stacked and Palestinians take what they can on a first come, first served basis.

This means they begin gathering shortly after midnight to secure a place at the front of the line, and race to the food supplies when the aid site opens hours later. All of which combines to create a volatile scenario in the middle of an ongoing war.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvg5vyp33j1t?post=asset%3Aa9b8f676-23b0-4ced-b3cd-48e9e4e4e172#post