‘This is an ambush’: dozens killed in Gaza aid site shooting

A shooting incident near an aid distribution point in Rafah on 1st June has resulted in a reported mass casualty event, as conflicting narratives emerge over responsibility for the violence. According to The National, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it received 179 casualties at its field hospital in Rafah, with 21 pronounced dead on arrival – most suffering from gunshot or shrapnel wounds.

Survivors told The National they were attempting to reach an aid distribution centre when the shooting erupted, describing scenes of chaos and panic. Witnesses said the violence occurred at dawn, near a collection point operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Palestinian state media outlet Wafa alleged that Israeli troops had opened fire on civilians seeking aid, while Gaza’s Health Ministry reported at least 31 killed and 170 injured.

The Israeli military initially claimed to be unaware of any casualties before issuing a denial, stating it had not fired on civilians “near or within” the distribution site and labeling such reports as “false.” A military spokesperson later added that troops had discharged warning shots to deter “several suspects” from approaching the area, distancing the incident from what it called “false claims” of direct fire. The Israeli army also released video footage showing unidentified individuals throwing rocks and firing weapons at Gazan civilians in Khan Younis, suggesting that Hamas militants were sabotaging aid efforts.

In contrast, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – responsible for operating the aid centres – said the 1st June distribution proceeded “without incidents,” dismissing reports of fatalities as inaccurate.

Yet accounts from the ground painted a starkly different picture. Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN agency UNRWA, condemned the current aid delivery model as deadly and degrading. “Aid distribution has become a death trap,” he said, describing the centres as part of a “humiliating system” that forces starving civilians to walk for miles through bomb-ravaged terrain.

One such civilian, Ibrahim Abu Taima, told The National he arrived at the centre just after dawn in hopes of avoiding the rush. “But people were already packed in. Everyone is hungry, no food, no water, for months,” said the 34-year-old. “People were shot at without warning. Chaos broke out.” He said his cousin Mahmoud was killed in the incident, and his young nephew wounded by gunfire.

Reports indicate that at least 39 Palestinians have been killed and over 220 wounded in recent days while attempting to collect food from the new centres, which are guarded by US private security contractors. Critics argue that the aid system lures desperate civilians into deadly traps.

“This is not aid. It’s an ambush,” said Ismail Al-Thawabti, director of the Government Media Office in Gaza, in an interview with The National. He accused both Israel and the US of “orchestrating these massacres under the pretence of humanitarian relief, killing civilians in cold blood without any legal or international deterrent.”

Southern Gaza journalist Mohammed Al-Ghareeb described harrowing scenes at the site. “Thousands of people were there – mothers, children, elderly. The army started firing directly at people’s heads and chests. It was deliberate,” he told The National. Many had walked through the night from northern Gaza in hopes of receiving aid. “They left empty-handed, fleeing bullets instead of receiving aid,” he said.

Adding to the tragedy, looters reportedly awaited survivors fleeing the site. “They snatched parcels from people who made it out alive,” Al-Ghareeb said. “The situation is catastrophic. Famine is claiming lives, and the world remains silent.”

Israel maintains that its alternative aid distribution model is a necessary workaround to prevent Hamas from intercepting and diverting aid supplies. However, the Red Cross warned that civilians have long been forced to “navigate areas affected by intense hostilities” in their search for food. The organisation called the 1st June intake in Rafah the “highest number of weapon-wounded in a single incident” since the field hospital was established more than a year ago.

The National/ Maghrebi.org