At least 24 Palestinians in Gaza fatally shot on their way to aid distribution site
The incident unfolded close to an aid hub near Rafah run by The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed American organisation.
One injured man said he was about 200 metres from the site when an Israeli tank started firing at crowds.
'We were together, and they shot us at once,' Abdullah al-Haddad said. He was in hospital with an injured leg.
Israel 's military said it fired warning shots toward people it said were behaving suspiciously to prevent them from approaching, and was not aware of any casualties.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said no incident occurred near its sites.
A woman whose son was killed in the shooting said she had previously stopped him from going to the site, because she thought it was too dangerous.
'He said to me, 'Mom, you don't have flour and today I'll go and bring you flour, even if I die, I'll go and get it,'' Sumaya al-Sha'er said.
'But he never came back home.'
According to the United Nations, at least 798 people have been killed by Israeli fire at food distribution points in Gaza since the end of May, with the majority of incidents at sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
The GHF denies there has been violence in or around its sites.
The UN and other aid groups have said they struggle to distribute aid due to widespread looting and Israeli military restrictions.
Meanwhile, at least 28 Palestinians, including four children, were killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Saturday, Palestinian health officials said.
The deaths come amid intense airstrikes in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, and Khan Younis in the south of the territory.
Ceasefire talks are ongoing following two days of meetings between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump had said he was closing in on an agreement between Israel and Hamas that would bring the release of more hostages from Gaza and potentially wind down the war.
The militant group still holds some 50 hostages, with at least 20 believed to remain alive.
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Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
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Powys County Times
6 hours ago
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The military said it was attempting to facilitate the entry of aid, and accused Hamas militants of creating chaos and endangering civilians. More than 150 people were wounded overall, with some in critical condition, hospitals said. Separately, seven Palestinians were killed while sheltering in tents in Khan Younis in the south, including a five-year-old boy, according to the Kuwait Specialised Field Hospital, which received the casualties. The killings in northern Gaza did not take place near aid distribution points associated with the recently created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US and Israel-backed group. Naem Ahmed's family hugged the last bag of WFP wheat flour they received – a small celebration amid desperate conditions. Everyone in #Gaza is hungry. It's time to flood the Strip with food and reach ALL families, everywhere – safely and without interruption. — World Food Programme (@WFP) July 19, 2025 Witnesses and health workers say hundreds of people have been killed by Israeli fire while trying to access the group's aid distribution sites. The new evacuation orders cut access between the central city of Deir al-Balah and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in the narrow territory. The military also reiterated evacuation orders for northern Gaza. The United Nations has been in contact with Israeli authorities to clarify whether UN facilities in the southwestern part of Deir al-Balah are included in the evacuation order, according to a UN official. The official said that in previous instances, UN facilities were spared from evacuation orders. The latest order covers an area stretching from a previously evacuated area all the way to the Mediterranean coast and will severely hamper movement for aid groups and civilians in Gaza. The Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) group said in a statement that several humanitarian organisations' offices and guesthouses had been 'ordered to evacuate immediately' and nine clinics, including the MAP one, had been forced to shut down. Military spokesman Avichay Adraee called for people to head to the Muwasi area, a desolate tent camp on Gaza's southern coast that Israel's military has designated a humanitarian zone. The announcement came as Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly asserted that expanding Israel's military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas in negotiations. Earlier this month, Israel's military said it controlled more than 65% of Gaza. Gaza's population of more than two million Palestinians are in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, now relying largely on the limited aid allowed into the territory. Many people have been displaced multiple times. Hamas triggered the war when militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty remain in Gaza, but fewer than half are thought to be alive. Israel's military offensive has killed more than 58,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not say how many militants have been killed but says more than half of the dead have been women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the UN and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
