Israeli gunfire kills 10 near Gaza aid site amid stalled ceasefire talks

Sunday 01 June 2025 - 07:30

By: Zahouani Ilham

Israeli gunfire kills 10 near Gaza aid site amid stalled ceasefire talks

At least ten Palestinians lost their lives and more than a hundred were injured when Israeli forces opened fire near a humanitarian aid distribution site west of Rafah, according to civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal. The wounded were transported to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

Israel continues to face international condemnation over the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where the UN has warned of impending famine. Despite a partial easing of a total blockade that lasted over two months, aid deliveries remain limited. The UN also reported that some of its supplies have been looted from trucks and storage facilities.

The World Food Programme has urged Israel to accelerate and expand food assistance deliveries, warning that increasing desperation is leading to instability.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private organization supported by US-contracted security and Israeli military backing, began food distribution on May 26. However, key international aid agencies, including the UN, have refused to work with GHF, citing violations of core humanitarian standards and suggesting the group serves Israeli military interests. GHF claims to have distributed over 2.1 million meals by Friday.

Hamas accused Israeli forces of committing a "new massacre" by firing on civilians waiting for food, describing aid points as "mass death traps" rather than relief sites.

On the diplomatic front, Hamas said it had accepted a US-backed ceasefire framework, but the main US negotiator, Steve Witkoff, dismissed their response as “totally unacceptable.” Hamas reiterated its demands for a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israel, in turn, warned Hamas to accept the deal and release hostages or face destruction.

According to Israeli authorities, of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, 57 remain in Gaza—34 of whom are believed to be dead.

Since March 18, over 4,100 people have been killed in Gaza due to Israel’s renewed offensive, bringing the total death toll to over 54,000, mostly civilians. In the initial Hamas assault, 1,218 people in Israel were killed, also primarily civilians.