Israeli fire kills three near Gaza aid site, dozens injured amid escalating crisis

At least three Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured on Monday near an aid distribution site run by the U.S.-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to local health authorities. 

The incident occurred in Rafah, in southern Gaza, where the Israeli military maintains full control.

The Israeli military acknowledged reports of casualties and said it is investigating the incident. In a statement, it said troops had fired warning shots to deter several individuals approaching them and noted the event happened about one kilometer (0.6 miles) from the GHF site.

GHF, a U.S.-sponsored organization endorsed by Israel, stated that no injuries or fatalities occurred at its distribution point or in the immediate area. Reuters could not independently verify what transpired.

This latest incident underscores the continued instability complicating humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza, even after Israel eased a near three-month blockade last month. On Sunday, Palestinian and international officials said at least 31 people were killed and many more wounded near the same GHF site in Rafah.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres expressed outrage over Sunday’s reports, calling for an independent investigation. The Israeli military denied firing on civilians seeking aid, and the GHF characterized the reports as misinformation spread by Hamas, stating the aid delivery had occurred without disruption.

Ongoing Military Operations

Separately, the Israeli military said it has intensified ground operations across Gaza, killing fighters and dismantling weapons caches and military infrastructure both above and below ground. Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry reported that Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours killed 51 people and injured 500 others.

Aid and Famine Warnings

Despite the violence, GHF announced on Monday that it has distributed nearly 6 million meals since launching operations. However, the group’s efforts—conducted outside traditional humanitarian frameworks—have drawn strong criticism from the United Nations and other aid organizations, which argue that GHF fails to adhere to established humanitarian principles.

The U.N. continues to warn of a looming famine in Gaza, where nearly the entire population of over 2 million is now reliant on aid following the prolonged blockade. The GHF has recently expanded its activities, establishing four distribution points and planning to open more.

The Palestinian NGOs Network has called for a boycott of what it labeled the “U.S.-Israeli aid mechanism,” following the Sunday killings.

At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, relatives gathered to mourn 37-year-old father-of-six Hussam Wafi, one of the victims. “They went peacefully to get food for their children,” his brother Ali Wafi told Reuters. “They died trying to get a can of hummus or fava beans.”

Ceasefire Talks Stalled

Meanwhile, efforts to broker a temporary ceasefire and secure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza remain deadlocked. Both Israel and Hamas have blamed each other for stalling U.S. and Arab-led mediation efforts.

A Palestinian official involved in the talks said Hamas leaders remain in communication with Egyptian and Qatari mediators based in Cairo and Doha.

Israel has expressed willingness to agree to a temporary truce in exchange for the hostages but insists the war will only end once Hamas is eliminated from Gaza.

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a deadly assault on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

In response, Israel launched a wide-scale military campaign in Gaza, which has since killed over 54,000 Palestinians, destroyed much of the territory’s infrastructure, and displaced the majority of its population into overcrowded shelters and makeshift camps.