Rafah, Gaza – At least 15 Palestinians were killed and over 100 others injured early Thursday following Israeli tank shelling and gunfire near a US-funded humanitarian aid distribution center in Rafah, southern Gaza, according to medics and local residents.
Local journalist Mohammed Ghareeb told the BBC that thousands of Palestinians had gathered near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution site around 04:30 local time (02:30 BST) when Israeli tanks approached the Al-Alam roundabout and opened fire.
Footage from the scene shared by journalists and activists showed disturbing images of casualties being transported by donkey carts to a Red Cross field hospital in the nearby al-Mawasi area. Rescue crews reportedly could not reach the site, which lies within an Israeli-controlled zone.
“The dead and wounded lay on the ground for a long time,” said Ghareeb. “Rescue crews could not access the area… residents were forced to use donkey carts.”
A doctor at the Red Cross field hospital confirmed receiving 15 bodies and 50 injured individuals, with efforts underway to transfer the most critical cases to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis for further treatment.
Civil defense spokesperson Mahmud Bassal, speaking to AFP, said: “At least 10 Palestinians were killed and more than 100 others wounded due to gunfire from Israeli vehicles towards thousands of citizens.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not yet issued a statement in response to the allegations. The BBC has reached out for comment.
Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis
The incident underscores the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Rafah. Ongoing Israeli military operations have severely hampered access to medical services and humanitarian aid in the southern part of Gaza.
On Saturday, the World Food Programme reported that crowds of desperate civilians rushed aid trucks in Gaza, highlighting the severity of food insecurity in the region.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new US and Israel-supported initiative, has been distributing food across Gaza amid widespread allegations that Hamas has previously diverted aid—claims the group denies. GHF reported distributing two million meals this week, though the BBC has not been able to independently verify those figures.
Diplomatic Efforts for Ceasefire Continue
The attack comes amid renewed US efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Hamas has responded to a US proposal by offering to release 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
However, Hamas reiterated its demands for a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and uninterrupted humanitarian aid—none of which are included in the current proposal drafted by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff labeled Hamas’s counterproposal “unacceptable,” stating that the US-backed plan remains “the only way we can close a 60-day ceasefire deal in the coming days.”
The situation in Rafah remains volatile, with aid access, humanitarian conditions, and ceasefire negotiations tightly interlinked in the ongoing conflict.
For more global conflict updates and political news, visit BlogHear.com.
