27 more Palestinian civilians killed near Rafah aid centre
New Delhi, June 3: At least 27 Palestinians were killed and 90 others injured by Israeli fire near an aid distribution point in Rafah on Tuesday, according to the Gaza health ministry, as reported by the BBC. The incident is the latest in a string of deadly encounters around a controversial aid delivery mechanism backed by the US and Israel. The Israeli military said it fired near the aid complex after identifying “several suspects,” and stated it is examining reports of casualties.
A medic in the area described the aftermath as “total carnage” and told the BBC they were overwhelmed by the volume of casualties.
This marks the third consecutive day of fatal shootings near the same aid distribution centre operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a newly formed body supported by the US and Israeli governments. The GHF was created to bypass the United Nations as the main aid distributor in Gaza, with Israel claiming it needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off supplies.
According to a BBC timeline, chaos has plagued the GHF’s operations since it began functioning after Israel eased an 11-week blockade on May 19. On May 27, 47 people were reportedly injured when crowds rushed at the GHF’s Rafah site. The Gaza health ministry said one person died. On May 29, the BBC reported that witnesses described scenes of disorder, with elderly and vulnerable people struggling to access food and many returning empty-handed.
By May 31, the UN’s World Food Programme confirmed that civilians had rushed aid trucks, and on June 1, the Hamas-run civil defence agency said 31 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire at the same Rafah site. The IDF denied firing at civilians, saying preliminary findings indicated no shots were aimed at people within or near the aid centre.
On June 2, three more Palestinians were reported killed near the site. The Israeli military again said it had fired warning shots at suspects approaching troops, about a kilometre from the aid distribution centre.
Today’s death toll is the highest so far at a single aid point since GHF began operations. The BBC notes that international journalists, are barred from entering Gaza. Speaking to the BBC World Service's Newshour programme, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called the situation “dehumanising” and “unacceptable.” “It’s heartbreaking,” Türk said. “Can you imagine people that have been absolutely desperate for food, for medicine, for almost three months, and then they have to run for it or try to get it in the most desperate circumstances?”
