The death toll in Gaza soared over the past 24 hours, with at least 110 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes and gunfire, including 34 civilians gunned down while awaiting food aid near Rafah, local authorities and medical sources reported on Saturday.
Witnesses in the al-Shakoush area described chaotic scenes as Israeli troops opened fire on crowds gathered near the United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) site. The victims were among thousands who had queued for essential supplies in what rights groups have condemned as a systematic targeting of displaced and starving civilians.
“They squarely targeted hungry crowds without prior warning,” said Mohammad Barbakh, a survivor of the shooting near the GHF aid site.
The killings, which occurred over the span of a single day, have brought renewed international scrutiny to Israel's military operations in southern Gaza, even as ceasefire negotiations in Qatar have once again collapsed. Talks reportedly faltered after Israel pushed for the forced evacuation of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents.
Also read: Israel’s Rafah camp: Crime against humanity?
Medical officials said the 34 deaths near Rafah were part of a broader wave of violence across the enclave. According to doctors in Gaza, more than 800 people have been killed and 5,000 wounded near GHF aid sites alone since distribution began on 27 May.
Rights groups, including United Nations agencies, have labelled the GHF sites “death traps” and “human slaughterhouses,” accusing Israeli forces of deliberately allowing only one functioning aid centre in southern Gaza to funnel civilians into vulnerable zones.
The latest surge in deaths over the past 24 hours has intensified concern over the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the enclave. The Gaza government’s media office confirmed on Saturday that at least 67 children had died of malnutrition amid the ongoing Israeli blockade, and warned that 650,000 children under five were now at imminent risk of acute starvation.
According to Israeli officials, over 250 strikes were carried out in Gaza in less than 48 hours, targeting what they claim were Hamas infrastructure and combatants. But Palestinian sources insist the victims are overwhelmingly civilians, including displaced families, children, and aid-seekers.
The Israeli military has not commented directly on the shooting at the Rafah aid site.
As ceasefire negotiations remain deadlocked, humanitarian organisations have urged international intervention to prevent further atrocities and ensure safe access to food, water, and medical supplies. The UN has called for an immediate halt to attacks on aid distribution points and reiterated demands for a sustained humanitarian corridor.
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