Over 70 others also injured as Israeli forces open fire on aid-seeking Palestinians in Rafah
At least 25 Palestinians were killed and more than 70 others injured on Saturday when Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of starving civilians in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, according to medical sources.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the Palestinians had gathered near an aid distribution center affiliated with an American-Israeli company in search of food, as humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate.
The Israeli army fired a volley of live ammunition at the crowd, resulting in a high number of casualties, the agency said.
Nearly 900 Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks while attempting to get much-needed humanitarian aid at sites mostly associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an American organization backed by Israel, according to UN figures. The GHF started operating in Gaza in late May, bypassing the UN and other established NGOs.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 59,000 Palestinians so far, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and spread of disease.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
