Israel Denies Rafah Aid Site Shooting, Accuses Hamas of Attacking Civilians

Israeli forces deny responsibility for the June 1, 2025, Rafah incident that killed at least 31 Palestinians and injured over 150. Instead, Israel accuses Hamas of firing at civilians near the aid site and shares drone footage to support its claim.

The attack has focused renewed attention on the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), with international organizations challenging the security and neutrality of its operations.

Israel Denies Involvement, Blames Hamas

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released aerial video that allegedly shows Hamas gunmen firing at civilians near the aid drop site. The IDF asserted that the video confirms that Hamas used efforts to disrupt humanitarian work and prevent the delivery of aid in Gaza.

The IDF claimed that it did not fire at civilians and that all Israeli fire was warning shots intended to deter suspicious individuals.

Eyewitnesses and Medical Sources Dispute Israeli Claims

Contrary to the claims of the IDF, eyewitnesses and hospital personnel stated that Israeli soldiers fired on civilians who had amassed to receive medical aid. The Health Ministry in Gaza confirmed that Israeli gunfire killed 31 Palestinians and injured dozens more.

MSF cited patients who said Israeli tanks and drones shot at them from multiple directions. The Red Cross International Committee had 179 casualties, the majority of whom suffered gunshot or shrapnel wounds.

Humanitarian Organizations Denounce GHF Operations

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an American-funded agency, has come under attack from humanitarian groups, including the United Nations, for its delivery of assistance. The method used by the GHF, where civilians travel across insecure terrain to access aid, is reported to compromise safety and impartiality.

The UN denounced the GHF operations as necessitating improvements in increasing food access safely and urgently and the risks of militarizing humanitarian aid.

Continuous Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis

The Rafah incident unfolds as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 54,000 Palestinians have died and over 124,000 have suffered injuries since October 2023. Meanwhile, US, Egyptian, and Qatari-brokered ceasefire talks have stalled. Hamas, on one hand, demands that Israel withdraw all its forces and permanently end the war.

Israel, on the other hand, firmly rejects this demand. Furthermore, the March 2 blockade of Gaza has suddenly and aggressively tightened, severely restricting humanitarian aid. As a result, the crisis continues to escalate with no clear resolution in sight.

The concurrent accounts of the Rafah incident underscore the courtesy of the present conflict and the challenge of delivering humanitarian aid in a war zone. As both sides continue to point fingers, the need for impartial investigations and safe, effective delivery of aid continues to take precedence.