Gaza food point bloodshed: Israeli fire kills at least four

At least four Palestinians were killed and several others injured by Israeli gunfire near a food distribution site in Gaza, on Sunday, June 8, 2025, according to Palestinian health officials and eyewitnesses.

The incident occurred roughly one kilometre from a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution point in Rafah, part of a newly introduced food aid system backed by Israel and the United States.

Critics have condemned this system as disorganized, unethical, and hazardous, citing frequent casualties and chaotic scenes at the aid hubs.

Eyewitnesses claimed that on Sunday morning, Israeli forces opened fire on people approaching the Rafah distribution point to collect food.

The Israeli military stated it had fired warning shots at individuals coming close to its forces and acknowledged reports of injuries but did not clarify the number of casualties.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that some of the bodies were brought to Nasser hospital in Khan Younis.

On the other hand, al-Awda hospital confirmed receiving the body of a 42-year-old man and 29 injured people from another GHF distribution location.

News agencies reported varying death tolls, with Reuters stating four fatalities and the Associated Press reporting at least five.

These latest deaths raise the number of people killed while seeking food since May 27, when the GHF took over civilian food distribution, to at least 110, with over 1,000 others injured.

According to witnesses, the shooting occurred around 6 a.m., the time people were told the aid site would open.

Many had arrived early to secure food before large crowds formed.

Israel had previously declared that the sites would operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., designating the area as a closed military zone outside those hours.

Despite the reports, a GHF spokesperson denied that any incidents had occurred at or near the distribution sites.

However, eyewitness accounts painted a different picture.

Adham Dahman, a 30-year-old wounded man treated at Nasser hospital, described how a tank fired in their direction.

“We didn’t know how to escape,” he said.

“This is a trap for us, not aid.”

Another witness, Zahed Ben Hassan, recalled someone beside him being shot in the head.

He and others managed to retrieve the body and flee to a hospital.

He questioned the logic of the shooting, saying, “They said it was a safe area from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. … so why did they start shooting at us?”

Sanaa Doghmah, speaking to Reuters, shared how her husband Khaled, 36, was fatally shot in the head while trying to get food for their five children.

His aunt, Salwah, spoke at his funeral, saying, “He was going to get food for his children and himself… they don’t have a pinch of flour at home.”

Violent incidents around the GHF hubs have become frequent in recent weeks.

Just days earlier, Israeli forces reportedly opened fire again on civilians seeking aid.

On Tuesday, at least 27 Palestinians were killed and hundreds injured far beyond the official perimeter of the distribution points.

Though Israel denied targeting civilians, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official admitted troops fired “warning shots toward several suspects,” without clarifying who they were.

On June 1, 31 more Palestinians were killed in a similar situation as they tried to collect food.

Again, the IDF claimed it had only fired warning shots toward individuals approaching their forces.

Israel imposed a full blockade on supplies entering Gaza in March, accusing Hamas of intercepting aid for military use, a claim Hamas denies.

According to a May report from a global hunger monitor, roughly 500,000 people in Gaza face starvation.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) estimated that around 71,000 children under the age of five could suffer from acute malnutrition.

It said even more than 14,000 expected to experience severe malnourishment in the next 11 months.

The new GHF-operated food hubs are located within Israeli military zones and are inaccessible to independent media.

GHF, a group primarily composed of U.S. contractors, is intended to replace the existing UN-coordinated food aid system.

However, the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies have rejected this approach.

It argued that it cannot adequately serve Gaza’s 2.3 million people and instead enables Israel to use food as leverage to control the population.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook