30 Palestinians Killed Near Aid Distribution Locations In Gaza Strip

Illustration of Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. (Source: WAFA)

JAKARTA - More than 30 Palestinians were killed and nearly 170 injured in southern Gaza near the food distribution site on Sunday, the health ministry said, while witnesses reported Israeli soldiers were shooting at people trying to gather aid and Israel denied it.

Witnesses said the Israeli military opened fire as thousands of Palestinians gathered to receive food aid.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said an initial investigation found soldiers were not shooting civilians while they were near or inside the distribution site.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health said 31 people were killed with one gunshot to the head or chest from Israeli gunfire as they gathered in the distribution area of Al-Alam district aid in Rafah, while 169 others were injured.

In addition to Israeli fire, residents and medics said an Israeli tank had opened fire on its way to the Rafah location.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said its field hospital in Rafah received 179 victims, mostly with gunshot wounds or shrapnel.

"All patients say they have tried to reach the distribution location of aid. This is the highest number of gun victims in one incident since the founding of a field hospital more than a year ago," the ICRC said.

Reda Abu Jazar said his brother was killed while he was waiting to pick up food near the Rafah aid distribution center.

"Let them stop this massacre, stop this genocide. They kill us," he said, as Palestinians gather for funeral prayers.

Separately, the United States-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said food was distributed without incident on Sunday at distribution points in Rafah and there were no deaths or injuries.

The GHF released a dateless video to support its statement showing dozens of people gathering around piles of boxes. Reuters was unable to verify videos or what happened independently.

The Red Crescent reported that 14 Palestinians were injured on Sunday near another GHF aid site in central Gaza.

Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) said most of Gaza's 2 million population was at risk of starvation after an 11-week Israeli blockade of aid entering the line.

GHF launched its first distribution site last week and said it would launch more. The Israeli military says the GHF has set up four locations so far.

The organization's aid plan, which ignores aid groups that have long been in Gaza, has received strong criticism from the United Nations and humanitarian organizations that say the GHF is not following humanitarian principles.

Earlier, chaos occurred as starving Gazans stormed its location last week. Hamas reported deaths and injuries in the riots, with Israel saying its troops opened warning shots.

Due to the small distribution point of the GHF and all of them in southern Gaza, UN officials said the plan was to force Palestinians, especially in the north, to move and face unsafe conditions.

Israel denies people in Gaza are starving for its actions, saying it facilitates aid deliveries, pointing to its support for the new GHF distribution center and its approval for other aid trucks to enter Gaza.

Yesterday, medical sources in Gaza confirmed that the death toll from Palestine since the conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, has reached 54,418, most of them women and children, while injured victims reached 124,190 people, with thousands still trapped under the rubble. , quoted from WAFA.