Israeli strikes kill at least 35 in Gaza, including civilians near U.S.-backed aid site

GAZA CITY — June 14, 2025 — Israeli air and artillery strikes killed at least 35 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, including over a dozen near an aid distribution site run by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to local health authorities.

Medical teams at Al-Awda and Al-Aqsa hospitals in central Gaza reported that at least 15 people were killed as they approached a GHF distribution center near the Netzarim corridor. The remaining fatalities were reported in separate incidents across the enclave.

Neither the Israeli military nor the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation issued immediate statements regarding Saturday’s attacks.

The GHF began distributing aid in Gaza at the end of May under a new U.S.-supported model that bypasses the United Nations and has drawn criticism from humanitarian organizations for lacking neutrality and impartiality. Since the foundation began operations, Gaza’s health ministry says at least 274 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,000 injured near aid distribution points.

Hamas accused Israel of using starvation as a "weapon of war" and turning humanitarian sites into “traps of mass deaths,” reiterating its denial of Israeli allegations that the group diverts aid intended for civilians.

Later in the day, health officials at Gaza’s Shifa Hospital said Israeli fire killed an additional 12 Palestinians gathered near the coastal road in northern Gaza while awaiting humanitarian assistance, bringing Saturday’s confirmed death toll to 35.

Israel Orders Evacuations in Southern Gaza

Meanwhile, Israel’s military issued evacuation orders for residents of Khan Younis and the adjacent towns of Abassan and Bani Suhaila, instructing civilians to move westward into designated “humanitarian zones.” The Israeli army said the evacuation was necessary as it intended to conduct operations targeting “terror organizations” in the area.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as Conflict Grinds On

The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and taking 251 hostages in the deadliest single day in Israel’s history.

In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign that has since killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health authorities. Most of the casualties are reported to be civilians. The bombardment has devastated the densely populated enclave, displacing the majority of its more than two million residents and exacerbating a dire humanitarian crisis. Malnutrition, especially among children, is now widespread.

Despite months of mediation efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, ceasefire talks remain deadlocked. Neither Israel nor Hamas has shown willingness to compromise on core demands. Each side blames the other for the collapse of negotiations.