On Sunday, June 1, health officials in Gaza said at least 31 people were killed and around 100 wounded near a humanitarian aid distribution point in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. The incident came amid renewed tensions after Hamas submitted amendments to a ceasefire plan proposed by Israel. 

According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, the attack involved gunfire from Israeli military vehicles targeting hundreds of people waiting for food aid at facilities run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.-backed organization.

Witnesses interviewed by AFP claimed that Israeli forces opened fire from drones and tanks during the distribution.

“There were so many people, it was chaos, shouting and pushing,” said 58-year-old Abdallah Barbakh, who was present. Another witness, 33-year-old Sameh Hamouda, added: “Suddenly, drones and tanks opened fire on the crowd.” 

Despite these accounts, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation firmly denied that any such incident occurred at its facilities. In a statement, the organization insisted reports of deaths and injuries were “false rumors spread by Hamas” aimed at undermining the credibility of humanitarian corridors.

“Every day we see coordinated efforts to distort media coverage of our operations,” the group said. 

Statement from Israel

The Israeli military issued a similar rejection. “In recent hours, false reports have been spread, including serious allegations against the Israel Defense Forces claiming they fired on Gaza residents at an aid distribution site,” it said.

An initial investigation, the army added, showed that Israeli forces did not fire on civilians inside or near the center. 

The accusations triggered outrage from Hamas, which condemned the event as a “horrible massacre” and described GHF distribution points as “death traps” for Gazans. The group accused Israel of using the aid centers to spread fear among civilians and obstruct the flow of humanitarian assistance into the enclave. 

The episode deepens the crisis in southern Gaza, where thousands of displaced people depend on aid to survive. While accounts of what happened remain disputed, the incident underscores the rising tensions in Rafah, a critical hub for both humanitarian operations and the ongoing political and military struggle between Israel and Hamas.