Israeli gunfire killed at least 39 Palestinians on Saturday near food distribution points in southern Gaza, according to hospital staff and witnesses. The victims had gathered near centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group supported by the United States and Israel.
The Gaza Health Ministry says over 58,000 Palestinians have died since the war began. Although it operates under the Hamas-run government, the United Nations and other global agencies consider its casualty figures reliable. The ministry reports that more than half of those killed were women and children.
Eyewitness reports and military statements
The shooting happened around GHF sites set up in military-controlled zones. GHF launched operations in May to distribute food, offering an alternative to the UN-led system. Israel and the US claim Hamas diverts UN aid, though the UN denies this.
Israeli forces said they fired warning shots near Rafah after a group approached troops and ignored calls to stay back. They said the incident took place overnight while the aid centre was closed.
GHF reported no incidents near its sites and said it had warned the public not to visit at night or early morning.
Most deaths happened near Khan Younis, about three kilometres from a GHF aid point. Witnesses said large crowds, mostly young men, moved toward the site when soldiers opened fire.
Mahmoud Mokeimar, who walked with the crowd, said troops fired warning shots before shooting directly at people. He saw at least three bodies on the ground and many wounded running for safety.
Another witness, Akram Aker, said soldiers fired from tanks and drones between 5 and 6 a.m. He described the crowd as encircled and under direct fire.
Sanaa al-Jaberi said gunfire broke out after the site opened, as people rushed forward. “Is this food or death? Why shoot at us instead of speaking to us?” she said, holding an empty bag.
Ongoing strikes and civilian impact
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received 25 bodies. Staff said another seven people died in the Shakoush area near a GHF hub in Rafah. Dr Mohamed Saker, head of nursing at the hospital, said 70 injured people arrived with gunshot wounds, mostly to the head and chest. Due to limited supplies, staff treated some patients on the floor.
Elsewhere, airstrikes continued. In Gaza City, two people died when a strike hit a tent sheltering displaced families. In central Gaza, Al-Awda Hospital reported 12 deaths in a separate strike, including police officer Omar Aqel. His relatives five women and two children, including a baby also died.
The hospital said another Israeli strike killed two people in Bureij. A separate strike on Salah El Din Street killed a child. In northern Gaza, a strike on a house in Sheikh Radwan killed at least four people. A separate attack on a cart in Tal al-Hawa killed four more.
The Israeli military confirmed about 90 strikes across Gaza in the past day but did not comment on specific attacks.
Gaza’s 2 million residents face a worsening humanitarian crisis. Witnesses say food distributions often turn chaotic, with people rushing to grab supplies from piles on the ground.
Conflict timeline and ceasefire talks
The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led fighters entered southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages. Fifty remain in captivity, although officials believe fewer than half are still alive.
Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in Qatar, but mediators report no significant progress.
In Tel Aviv, Efrat Machikawa a relative of former hostage Gadi Moses urged Israeli leaders to end the war and secure the release of remaining captives. Protesters later marched to the US Embassy branch to demand a ceasefire deal.
In the occupied West Bank, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited Taybeh, a Christian village where suspected Israeli settlers set fire to a church. Huckabee, an evangelical Christian who usually supports Israel, condemned the act as terrorism and sacrilege.
Violence by settlers in the West Bank has surged during the war. Palestinians say security forces have failed to act, and most settlers involved have not faced consequences.
