Dozens Dead in Gaza Aid Incidents as Israeli Fire and Chaos Plague Food Distribution

At least 32 Palestinians were killed earlier this week while attempting to reach food distribution sites in southern Gaza, according to Gaza authorities and eyewitness accounts. The incidents involved Israeli troops opening fire on crowds seeking vital aid, further exacerbating the region’s severe humanitarian crisis.

Witnesses and hospital officials reported two primary incidents on Saturday, July 12, near hubs operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). In one major event in the Teina area near Khan Younis, 25 bodies were received by Nasser Hospital. Another seven deaths occurred in the Shakoush area, hundreds of meters north of a GHF hub in Rafah. Health officials noted many casualties sustained gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

The GHF, a U.S.- and Israeli-backed initiative launched in late May 2025, aims to replace the traditional U.N.-led aid system, which the U.S. and Israel accuse Hamas of siphoning supplies – an allegation the U.N. denies. While the GHF claims to have distributed millions of meals, local officials and witnesses report hundreds of deaths linked to attempts to access its sites.

The Israeli military stated it fired ‘warning shots’ near Rafah after suspects approached troops, adding it was investigating casualties but noted the incident occurred overnight when sites were closed. The GHF also denied deadly shootings at its sites, claiming reported incidents happened far from their locations and accusing Hamas agitators of causing panic during a separate stampede that killed 20 people this week.

These deaths underscore the perilous conditions facing Gaza’s over 2 million residents, who are on the brink of famine amidst the ongoing 21-month conflict triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The Israeli military offensive has reportedly killed over 58,000 Palestinians, displaced nearly all of Gaza’s population, and caused widespread destruction, with ceasefire talks yielding no breakthroughs.

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