Israel has accused Hamas of shooting at straving civilians waiting for aid in Gaza’s Rafah, and firmly denied any role in the incident that killed at least 31 Palestinians and injured many others.
The Israeli military shared drone footage it claims shows Hamas fighters opening fire on the crowd, saying it was a deliberate attempt to disrupt humanitarian efforts.
“Drone footage shows gunmen in Gaza shooting at civilians going to collect aid. Hamas is doing everything in its power to prevent the successful distribution of food in Gaza,” the IDF said while sharing the video.
This comes amid conflicting reports. Gaza’s health ministry said Israeli forces opened fire near the aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed relief group, killing civilians. The ministry reported over 200 people were injured, many seriously, and said all those killed were shot in the head or chest.
False reports have been spread In recent hours, including serious allegations against the IDF regarding fire toward Gazan residents in the area of the humanitarian aid distribution site in Gaza.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 1, 2025
Findings from an initial inquiry indicate that 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗗𝗙 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲…
A medical official told the outlet it wasn’t clear who fired the shots, but said the area was under Israeli military control. “Whether it was them or people working for them, it is still their responsibility,” the official said.
The Red Cross, whose field hospital in Rafah was quickly overwhelmed, called the number of casualties “unprecedented.” They said, “This is the highest number of weapon-wounded in a single incident since our field hospital opened over a year ago.”