At least 13 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Saturday in separate incidents across the Gaza Strip, including six people fatally shot near a US-supported aid distribution point in the southern city of Rafah, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
Speaking to AFP, civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal said the shooting occurred around 7:00 am (0400 GMT) near the Al-Alam roundabout, a location that has become a regular gathering point for desperate Gazans seeking humanitarian aid.
“Six people were killed and several others wounded by the forces of the Israeli occupation near the Al-Alam roundabout,” Bassal said.
Thousands of civilians had reportedly gathered in the area hoping to access food and supplies from a distribution hub operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-backed aid group that began operations in late May following a partial easing of Israel’s blockade.
Eyewitness Samir Abu Hadid, who was present at the scene, recounted the chaos. “As soon as some people tried to advance toward the aid centre, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire from armoured vehicles — first into the air, then directly at civilians,” he said.
When contacted, the Israeli military said it was investigating the report — the latest in a series of fatal incidents near the GHF aid centre.
The United Nations, which has distanced itself from the GHF due to neutrality concerns, has repeatedly warned that Gaza’s population of more than two million people is on the brink of starvation, with humanitarian access still limited and sporadic.
Elsewhere in the enclave, seven more Palestinians were reported killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit a house near Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza. The Israeli military said it was also looking into that incident.
Saturday’s deaths add to the rising civilian toll in Gaza as the humanitarian crisis worsens and international calls grow louder for the protection of aid routes and relief workers.
