RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Not less than 31 folks have been killed and over 150 have been wounded on Sunday whereas on their approach to obtain meals within the Gaza Strip, in keeping with well being officers and a number of witnesses. The witnesses stated Israeli forces fired on crowds round a kilometer (1,000 yards) from an support web site run by an Israeli-backed basis.
The military in a short assertion stated it was “at the moment unaware of accidents attributable to (Israeli army) hearth inside the humanitarian support distribution web site. The matter remains to be underneath evaluate.”
The inspiration – promoted by Israel and america – stated in a press release it delivered support “with out incident” early Sunday. It has denied earlier accounts of chaos and gunfire round its websites, that are in Israeli army zones the place impartial entry is restricted.
Gaza’s Well being Ministry stated 31 folks have been killed and 170 others have been wounded.
A brand new support system marred by chaos
The Gaza Humanitarian Basis ‘s support distribution has been marred by chaos in its first week of operations, and a number of witnesses have stated Israeli troops fired on crowds close to its supply websites. Earlier than Sunday, at the very least six folks had been killed and greater than 50 wounded, in keeping with native well being officers.
The inspiration says the personal safety contractors guarding its websites haven’t fired on the crowds. Israel’s army has acknowledged firing warning photographs on earlier events.
The inspiration stated in a press release it distributed 16 truckloads of support early Sunday “with out incident,” and dismissed what it described as “false reporting about deaths, mass accidents and chaos.”
Palestinians run following an Israeli strike in Gaza Metropolis, Sunday, June 1, 2025.
AP Photograph/Jehad Alshrafi
‘The scene was horrible’
Hundreds of individuals headed towards the distribution web site in southern Gaza hours earlier than daybreak. As they approached, Israeli forces ordered them to disperse and are available again later, witnesses stated. When the crowds reached the Flag Roundabout, round 1 kilometer (half a mile) away, at round 3 a.m., Israeli forces opened hearth, the witnesses stated.
“There was hearth from all instructions, from naval warships, from tanks and drones,” stated Amr Abu Teiba, who was within the crowd.
He stated he noticed at the very least 10 our bodies with gunshot wounds and several other different wounded folks, together with girls. Individuals used carts to ferry the lifeless and wounded to a discipline hospital. “The scene was horrible,” he stated.
Most individuals have been shot “within the higher a part of their our bodies, together with the top, neck and chest,” stated Dr. Marwan al-Hams, a well being ministry official at Nasser Hospital, the place most of the wounded have been transferred after being dropped at the sphere hospital run by the Crimson Cross.
He stated 24 folks have been being handled in Nasser Hospital’s intensive care unit. A colleague, surgeon Khaled al-Ser, later stated 150 wounded folks had arrived, together with 28 our bodies.
Ibrahim Abu Saoud, one other witness, stated the army fired from about 300 meters (yards) away.
Abu Saoud stated he noticed many individuals with gunshot wounds, together with a younger man who he stated died on the scene. “We weren’t in a position to assist him,” he stated.
Mohammed Abu Teaima, 33, stated he noticed Israeli forces open hearth and kill his cousin and a girl as they headed towards the distribution web site. He stated his cousin was shot in his chest and his brother-in-law was among the many wounded.
“They opened heavy hearth immediately towards us,” he stated.
An AP reporter arrived on the discipline hospital at round 6 a.m. and noticed dozens of wounded, together with girls and youngsters. The reporter additionally noticed crowds of individuals coming back from the distribution level. Some carried bins of support however most seemed to be empty-handed.
Officers on the discipline hospital stated at the very least 21 folks have been killed and one other 175 have been wounded, with out saying who opened hearth on them. The officers spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to talk to reporters.
Gaza’s Well being Ministry supplied the identical toll and later up to date it.
Palestinians pray throughout the funeral of an individual who was killed whereas heading to a Gaza support hub, together with three others who have been killed throughout an Israeli strike, June 1, 2025.
AP Photograph/Abdel Kareem Hana
The UN says new support system violates humanitarian ideas
Israel and the U.S. say the brand new system is geared toward stopping Hamas from siphoning off help. Israel has not supplied any proof of systematic diversion, and the U.N. denies it has occurred.
U.N. companies and main support teams have refused to work with the brand new system, saying it violates humanitarian ideas as a result of it permits Israel to regulate who receives support and forces folks to relocate to distribution websites, risking but extra mass displacement within the coastal territory.
“It is primarily engineered shortage,” Jonathan Whittall, interim head in Gaza of the U.N. humanitarian workplace, stated final week.
The U.N. system has struggled to herald support after Israel barely eased its practically three-month blockade of the territory final month. These teams say Israeli restrictions, the breakdown of regulation and order and widespread looting make it extraordinarily troublesome to ship support to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians.
Specialists have warned that the territory is vulnerable to famine if extra support shouldn’t be introduced in.
The struggle started when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 folks, principally civilians, and abducting 251. They’re nonetheless holding 58 hostages, round a 3rd believed to be alive, after many of the relaxation have been launched in ceasefire agreements or different offers.
Israel’s army marketing campaign has killed over 54,000 folks, principally girls and youngsters, in keeping with Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which doesn’t say how most of the lifeless have been civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed huge areas, displaced round 90% of the inhabitants and left folks nearly utterly reliant on worldwide support.
The most recent efforts at ceasefire talks appeared to stumble Saturday when Hamas stated it had sought amendments to a U.S. ceasefire proposal that Israel had accepted, and the U.S. envoy referred to as that “unacceptable.”
Additionally Sunday, Israel stated its forces killed the commander of a militant cell it says was behind an assault that killed 21 troopers within the struggle’s early months. It was among the many deadliest single occasions for the army in practically 20 months of combating, excluding Hamas’ preliminary onslaught. A blast from a rocket-propelled grenade fired by militants triggered explosives the troopers have been laying to explode buildings.
___
Magdy reported from Cairo. Related Press author Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2025 by The Related Press. All Rights Reserved.
