On June 16, 2025, at dawn, food aid distribution in the area of Rafah in Gaza, reports indicated that 34 Palestinians succumbed to death after Israeli soldiers opened fire on individuals trying to access food aid distribution points belonging to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Gaza Health Ministry reported the tragedy, and it has been recorded by both Associated Press (AP) and Reuters agencies.
/*The Grisly Tragedy*/
Early Monday morning, the poor Palestinian people gathered at the identified aid branches at Rafah, thousands of them. Gaza Health Ministry officially reported 34 deaths; 33 at the Flag Roundabout and one other on the way back to a second centre. The equivalent organisation, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) verified about 200 wounded using its adjoining field hospital, the largest in a single day since the GHF started its activities at the end of May.
/*The source of attribution */
It is covered by first-hand reporting through Associated Press, that is, through reporters Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, and supported by Reuters and Reuters-based figures. Fatality and casualty figures were given by the Gaza Health Ministry, which is under Hamas control. In AP witness statements, Heba Jouda and Mohammed Abed testify that the Israeli forces fired to suppress the crowd at approximately 4 0-clock-a.m around the Flag Roundabout!
/*International Bodies' Reactions*/
The international community, led by the United Nations, was quick to condemn the incident. The UN chief on human rights, Volker Turch, accused Israel of weaponizing food and demanded an independent investigation. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said that civilians are struggling in a death trap in lines, seeking assistance. In the meantime, the Red Cross reported that in Rafah, the field hospital had the “greatest single mass casualty incident” since the field hospital became operational.
/*Israeli Military’s Position*/
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not respond promptly to the June 16 shooting, saying the soldiers had used warning shots in the past when approached in restricted areas. They argue that the incident took place in an operational zone of combat and are now reviewing it.
/*Why this matters?*/
This tragedy, or as it has been termed by Amnesty International, the worst single-day number of casualties since the establishment of GHF, points to the risks of militarized models of aid. It echoes the alarms of the UN, humanitarian agencies that substituting UN-led assistance with faceless, fortress-like, and heavily guarded systems such as GHF poses a severe danger to civilians. There are more than 55,300 Palestinians who have been killed since October 2023; therefore, this recent violence represents the necessity of safe humanitarian corridors in a serious matter