At Least 30 Killed, Scores Hurt Near Gaza Food Distribution Site

More than 30 people were killed and dozens injured on Sunday near a food aid distribution site in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry stated that the victims had gathered near a humanitarian aid site operated by a U.S.-based organisation when they reportedly came under fire.

According to witnesses cited by the Associated Press, the civilians were on their way to receive food aid when they were attacked roughly 1,000 yards from the distribution centre. The attack caused widespread chaos and panic among the hungry crowd, leading to mass casualties.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that 21 victims were declared dead on arrival at its field hospital, while 179 others were wounded, including many women and children. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also on the ground, described an increasingly dire medical situation, with blood supplies at Nasser Hospital running low. In a dramatic effort to save lives, MSF medical personnel reportedly donated their own blood to treat the injured.

The Israeli military, in a preliminary statement, denied any involvement in the incident, saying its forces did not fire on civilians either near or inside the aid distribution zone. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which manages the aid centre in Rafah and is backed by Israel, echoed this claim, stating that its 16 truckloads of aid were delivered “without incident.”

Despite the denials, the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency in Gaza accused the Israeli military of deliberately targeting civilians in the area. These claims have not yet been independently verified.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire continue. Hamas has proposed amendments to a U.S.-backed truce plan, though American envoy Steve Witkoff has dismissed the response as “totally unacceptable.” Mediators from Egypt and Qatar are reportedly working to bridge the divide between the two sides. Hamas has signaled its willingness to begin a new round of indirect negotiations.