Gaza tragedy: Dozens kill€d as Israeli fir€ targets civilians

DDM News

At least 27 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday as Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on civilians near an aid distribution point in southern Gaza.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) confirms that the incident, which unfolded close to a humanitarian centre in the city of Rafah, is the third such fatal occurrence in as many days.

According to Palestinian health officials and eyewitnesses, Israeli troops shot at civilians who were making their way toward an aid site managed under the Israeli and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

The Israeli military, in a brief statement, claimed it fired “near a few individual suspects” who deviated from the designated path, approached its troops, and failed to heed warning shots.

While acknowledging the use of force, the military said it was still reviewing reports of fatalities.

The killings occurred near the Flag Roundabout, approximately one kilometre from the GHF aid centre, located in what is now a largely depopulated area of Rafah.

This entire zone is classified as a military area by Israel, with journalists only permitted access through army-controlled channels.

The GHF, which was formed to bypass Hamas and distribute aid directly within Israeli-controlled military zones, insists that its centres remain peaceful and secure.

However, the foundation did admit on Tuesday that Israel’s army was investigating claims of injuries in regions beyond the official distribution perimeter.

This incident marks the third mass shooting involving civilians seeking aid in just 72 hours.

On Sunday and Monday, similar shootings reportedly killed 34 people.

The army has denied intentionally targeting civilians or obstructing their access to humanitarian supplies.

The new system, in which aid is distributed in militarised zones, has been strongly criticised by the United Nations.

The UN argues the policy exacerbates Gaza’s worsening hunger crisis and allows Israel to manipulate aid access as a strategic weapon.

Aid recipients are now compelled to walk long distances and return on foot, often without success, carrying whatever little they manage to receive, if they survive the journey.

Hisham Mhanna, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said their field hospital in Rafah received 184 wounded on Tuesday morning.

Among them, 19 were declared dead on arrival, and 8 more succumbed to their injuries shortly after.

Eyewitness Rasha al-Nahal described the chaos and despair that unfolded.

“We see people getting killed in front of us and end up leaving empty-handed,” she said.

Al-Nahal recounted seeing more than a dozen dead and several injured while attempting to reach the aid hub.

When she finally arrived, there was no aid left, and the group was fired upon again as they attempted to return.

An Associated Press journalist who visited the Red Cross field hospital around 6 a.m. described scenes of panic and devastation.

Ambulances were ferrying wounded civilians to other medical facilities.

Blood-stained flour bags littered the roadside as people trudged back, mostly without any supplies.

The United Nations human rights office condemned the killings in the strongest terms.

Describing the near-daily attacks on civilians attempting to access food as “unconscionable,” the UN has called for an independent and impartial probe.

Critics argue that the militarised aid distribution system endangers lives rather than saving them.

Humanitarian observers say that forcing civilians to enter combat zones to receive essential food supplies only worsens the humanitarian crisis.

The latest deaths come amid widespread international concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has been under constant bombardment since hostilities escalated.

Rafah, once densely populated, has now become a ghost town, heavily patrolled by Israeli forces and devoid of journalists or international monitors.

Access to life-saving resources remains scarce.

Civilians now face the impossible choice of braving bullets or enduring starvation.

While Israel maintains its fire is limited to those who pose a potential threat, mounting civilian casualties suggest a pattern that rights groups argue amounts to collective punishment.

The GHF maintains its distribution points are neutral zones, but evidence from survivors and aid workers challenges this claim.

As of Tuesday night, the toll of the three-day bloodshed stood at over 60 dead and hundreds injured.

UN agencies and human rights groups are demanding immediate changes to aid distribution logistics to protect civilian lives.

They are also renewing their calls for unfettered humanitarian access and for journalists to be allowed to operate freely in the affected regions.

The international community remains divided on how to address the deepening crisis.

Meanwhile, ordinary Palestinians continue to pay the ultimate price, lives lost while seeking bread and safety.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates on this developing humanitarian emergency

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