Palestinians in Gaza have reported that Israeli soldiers and some local gunmen opened fire on people walking toward a humanitarian aid centre run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
This incident adds to growing fears, as several civilians have already died in recent weeks due to drone attacks near aid centres. According to eyewitnesses, Monday marked the first time Palestinian gunmen also shot at people close to the GHF distribution point in Tal al-Sultan, a neighbourhood in Rafah. The health ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, said the gunfire on Monday killed six individuals and injured 99 more.
GHF Denies Incident at Centre
In contrast, GHF stated that its Tal al-Sultan aid centre was not open that day. The organisation denied any attack taking place at the site.
Deadly violence has surrounded the GHF’s operations almost daily since it began delivering aid on May 26. Dozens of Palestinians have lost their lives near one of the four GHF aid sites. The Tal al-Sultan location, in particular, sits near a route that cuts through an Israeli military-controlled area, making it especially dangerous.
Conflicting Accounts of Responsibility
Palestinians continue to accuse Israeli forces of shooting at crowds near these centres. Israel, however, has consistently denied these allegations. Instead, the Israeli military claims it has only fired warning shots at people who ignored them and continued to approach their positions.
Mohammed Sakout, who helps distribute aid at the GHF site, shared his experience with the BBC: “Several young men were shot and killed right behind me. I narrowly escaped death – some bullets passed just inches from my head.”
He added, “At first, it was the Israeli army that was shooting at civilians. But today, we were shocked to discover the presence of gangs and militias.”
Aid Mission Blocked at Sea
In a related development, a group of 12 pro-Palestinian activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, was stopped from reaching Gaza by sea. Their boat, named the “Selfie Yacht,” was intercepted by Israeli authorities at the port of Ashdod.
On Tuesday, Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed via social media that, “The passengers of the ‘Selfie Yacht’ arrived at Ben Gurion Airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries.”
