Israel has been accused of deliberately targeting starving Palestinians at aid distribution sites in Gaza, with local authorities saying at least 102 people have been killed and 490 wounded since May 27.
The Government Media Office in Gaza described the attacks as “a horrific, intentionally repeated crime,” saying that Israeli forces have been luring desperate civilians to aid distribution kill zones and then opening fire.
In a statement published on Telegram, the media office said the death toll on Friday alone reached 27, bringing the total number of those killed at aid centers in the Rafah governorate and the Israeli-controlled Netzarim Corridor to more than 100 since the Gaza Aid Foundation began operations.
“The so-called ‘aid’ distribution centers, which are located in exposed and dangerous red zones under the control of the occupation army, have turned into mass bloodbaths, luring starving civilians to them as a result of the crippling famine and the tightening siege,” the statement read.
“They are then deliberately and coldly shot, in a scene that epitomises the malice of the project and exposes its true objectives,” it added.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and desperation as Palestinians rushed to distribution points in Rafah.
“There’s no process. There’s no system. You just need to run first to be able to get the food,” one witness said.
According to local sources, Israeli forces opened fire on crowds using quadcopters and live ammunition.
Doctors and the Health Ministry in Gaza reported that most of the wounded were hit in the chest and head, indicating deliberate targeting of vital areas.
Despite the dangers, civilians continue to seek aid.
Residents say only limited quantities of basic food items — including flour, oil, lentils and canned goods — are being distributed.
The media office called on the United Nations, the Security Council, and international human rights groups to “assume their moral and legal responsibilities” by pressuring Israel to allow humanitarian aid through official crossings without interference.