Rafah, Gaza Strip, June 3 — At least 31 people were killed and more than 170 injured near an aid distribution centre in southern Gaza’s Rafah on Sunday, amid conflicting accounts over who opened fire on civilians trying to collect food in the war-torn enclave.
Israel’s military denied responsibility for the fatalities and released drone footage it claimed showed Hamas gunmen firing on the crowd. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the Palestinian group was deliberately disrupting aid deliveries and doing “everything in its power to prevent the successful distribution of food in Gaza.”
The IDF posted the purported video on social media, showing masked men firing near what appeared to be an aid queue. Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage or confirm the identity of the gunmen.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that Israeli troops had fired warning shots overnight at several individuals approaching their position. However, he denied troops had targeted civilians near the aid site.
In contrast, multiple eyewitnesses interviewed by AP said Israeli forces opened fire directly on crowds gathered near a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an Israeli and U.S.-backed aid organisation. The shooting reportedly occurred around dawn, approximately one kilometre from the distribution area.
One witness, Mohammed Abu Teaima, said his cousin and a woman were fatally shot as they moved toward the centre. Another, Ibrahim Abu Saoud, claimed Israeli troops opened fire from about 300 metres away. “They opened heavy fire directly toward us,” he said.
The GHF, in a statement, denied any disruption during its aid operations and released separate footage showing what it described as peaceful aid collection. The foundation’s sites are located within Israeli-controlled zones where independent media have no access.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said its field hospital in Rafah received 179 casualties, including women and children. At least 21 people were declared dead upon arrival, most with gunshot or shrapnel wounds. The ICRC said it was the largest number of “weapon-wounded” individuals treated in a single incident since the hospital opened over a year ago.
“All patients said they had been trying to reach an aid distribution site,” the ICRC said in a statement.
The head of the World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, described the incident as a “tragedy” and said staff on the ground had confirmed fatalities. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), warned that “aid distribution has become a death trap.”
The United Nations has faced increasing difficulties in delivering food and supplies into Gaza despite a slight easing of Israel’s blockade last month. UN officials blame continued Israeli restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting for the delays in reaching the enclave’s roughly two million residents.
The situation in Rafah remains volatile, with access to basic needs growing more precarious amid ongoing fighting and a mounting humanitarian crisis.
