Mourners pray beside the body of Adnan Abu Harb who was killed while heading to a Gaza aid hub, during his funeral at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. AP
At around 7:00 a.m. (0400 GMT), Israeli forces opened fire near the Al-Alam roundabout in southern Gaza’s Rafah area, killing six people and wounding several others, according to Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal.
Since late May, residents have gathered nearly daily at Al-Alam to receive humanitarian aid from a centre about one kilometre (0.6 miles) away, operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The organization has faced widespread condemnation for prioritizing Israeli military objectives -- including the ongoing displacement and humiliation of Palestinians starved by Israel -- over the efficient and effective delivery of aid.
Samir Abu Hadid, who was at the scene early Saturday, told AFP that thousands had assembled near the roundabout.
"As soon as some people tried to advance towards the aid centre, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire from armoured vehicles stationed nearby, firing into the air and then at civilians," he said.
Saturday’s incident marked the latest in a series of fatal shootings by Israeli forces near the Al-Alam aid point.
In May, Israel and the US established aid centers to provide limited relief to Gazans through the GHF, amid an ongoing Israeli blockade imposed since 2 March. Despite this, Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on civilians -- including women and children -- attempting to access these humanitarian aid sites.
Israeli troops killed 27 people in southern Gaza on Tuesday near one of the centers operated by the GHF, prompting the organization to temporarily suspend operations before resuming the next day.
Since the GHF began operations on 26 May, Israeli attacks near its aid distribution sites have killed over 100 Palestinians seeking aid and wounded nearly 500.
The United Nations and other aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF -- deeming it a private effort with opaque funding and neutrality issues -- and continue to warn that Gaza’s entire population of over two million people is facing famine-level conditions.
Israel has recently intensified its genocidal campaign in Gaza in what it claims is a renewed offensive. Since breaking a ceasefire on 18 March, Israeli attacks have killed at least 4,497 Palestinians, raising the overall death toll in Gaza to 54,772 -- the vast majority of them women and children.
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