26 killed in Israeli tank fire near Gaza aid centre, medics report

26 people have died and 150 others have been injured due to Israeli tank shelling and gunfire near an aid distribution center in Rafah, located in southern Gaza, according to medical sources and residents.

According to the BBC, thousands of Palestinians had assembled on Sunday, June 1, 2025, near the center when Israeli tanks arrived and opened fire on the crowd.

Footage shared by local journalists and activists depicted disturbing scenes.

It showed bodies and injured individuals being transported on donkey carts to a Red Cross field hospital in the al-Mawasi area.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), however, stated that they were “currently unaware of injuries caused by IDF fire within the Humanitarian Aid distribution site.”

They added that the incident was under investigation.

Mohammed Ghareeb, a local journalist in Rafah, provided more detail.

He explained that the crowd had gathered near the Al-Alam roundabout at approximately 04:30 local time (02:30 BST), close to a distribution center managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Shortly after, Israeli tanks appeared and began firing on the civilians.

According to Ghareeb, “The dead and wounded lay on the ground for a long time,” as rescue teams were unable to reach the site due to it being under Israeli control.

This forced local residents to use donkey carts to transport the injured and dead to the Red Cross field hospital.

The Red Cross hospital later confirmed that 26 individuals had been killed and another 150 wounded.

A doctor at the facility noted that efforts were being made to transfer the victims to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis for further medical treatment.

The BBC is reportedly reviewing footage that shows bodies being moved in carts and lorries to that hospital.

Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the Civil Defence, told AFP that over 100 people were injured by gunfire coming from Israeli vehicles directed at thousands of civilians.

The BBC has reportedly also reached out to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for comment regarding the incident.

This tragic event highlights the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Rafah.

Ongoing Israeli military operations in the area have drastically reduced access to both aid and emergency medical services.

Just one day earlier, the World Food Programme reported that civilians in Gaza rushed to aid trucks in desperation.

This underscored the extent of hunger and chaos gripping the region.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a newly established organization supported by both the US and Israel, has been coordinating food distribution efforts at designated sites across Gaza.

This initiative was introduced by Israel following accusations that Hamas was stealing aid—an allegation the group denies.

According to GHF, it managed to distribute two million meals during the past week, although the BBC has not independently verified this figure.

This latest incident occurs amid ongoing attempts by the United States to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

In response to a U.S.-backed proposal, Hamas stated it is willing to release 10 living Israeli hostages.

It is also willing to return the remains of 18 deceased hostages in exchange for the release of an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners.

However, Hamas has also reiterated key demands that are not part of the current proposal.

These include a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and firm guarantees for the continuous delivery of humanitarian aid.

These conditions remain major sticking points in the negotiation process.

Hamas claims to have officially submitted its response to the draft proposal.

The report was reportedly crafted by Steve Witkoff, who serves as U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Middle East affairs.

Witkoff responded critically, calling Hamas’s counterproposal “unacceptable” and asserting that it would set the peace process back rather than advance it.

He insisted that the U.S.-backed proposal remains “the only way we can close a 60-day ceasefire deal in the coming days.”

This unfolding situation reflects the broader challenges of achieving a truce amid:

• rising civilian casualties,
• increasing humanitarian distress, and,
• entrenched political demands from both sides.

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