Mass Shooting of Aid Seekers Continue in Gaza
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians gathering for food aid in southern Gaza on Friday, killing at least five and injuring more than 100, according to local health officials and witnesses.
Witnesses said the shooting occurred around 6 a.m. local time (03:00 GMT) near an aid distribution site in Rafah, where thousands of Palestinians had gathered in hopes of securing food.
Adham Dahman, 30, speaking from Nasser Hospital with a bandage on his chin, said a tank fired at the crowd.
“We didn’t know how to escape,” he told the Associated Press. “This is a trap for us, not aid.”
Another witness, Zahed Ben Hassan, said a man standing next to him was shot in the head.
“They said it was a safe area from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.,” he said. “So why did they start shooting at us? There was light out, and they have their cameras and can clearly see us.”
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) earlier posted on Facebook that it would distribute food at locations in Wadi Gaza and al-Mawasi, Rafah.
As people gathered at both points, Israeli forces reportedly used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse the crowds.
In Rafah alone, four were killed and about 100 wounded, many with injuries to the neck, chest, and head, doctors said.
Medical workers described the condition of the wounded as critical and difficult to treat.
A separate incident occurred at another GHF distribution site in central Gaza, where at least one Palestinian was killed and 20 others were injured.
According to local residents, the distribution sites have become increasingly dangerous.
“The only reason we go is that they’re the only food sources for our families,” one man said.
“But these places are not safe. We don’t have anywhere else to go.”
The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 108 Palestinians were killed and 393 injured in Israeli attacks across the enclave in the past 24 hours.
Since October 7, 2023, it reported 54,880 killed and 126,227 injured in Gaza.
Since a ceasefire collapsed in March, Israeli forces have killed 4,603 Palestinians and wounded 14,186, the ministry added.
