The witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds about 1,000 yards away from an aid site run by an Israeli-backed foundation.

The army released a brief statement saying it was “currently unaware of injuries caused by (Israeli military) fire within the Humanitarian Aid distribution site. The matter is still under review”.

The foundation said in a statement that it delivered aid “without incident” early on Sunday and has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent access is limited.

A Palestinian man carries a bag of food after receiving aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

The Gaza health ministry said 31 people were killed and 170 others were wounded, updating an earlier toll.

Hours earlier, officials at a nearby field hospital run by the Red Cross said that at least 21 people were killed and another 175 were wounded, without saying who opened fire on them.

An Associated Press reporter saw dozens of wounded people being treated at the hospital.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation ’s distribution of aid has been marred by chaos, and multiple witnesses have said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the delivery sites.

Before Sunday, at least six people had been killed and more than 50 wounded according to local health officials.

The foundation says the private security contractors guarding its sites have not fired on the crowds, while the Israeli military has acknowledged firing warning shots on previous occasions.

The foundation said in a statement that it distributed 16 truckloads of aid early Sunday “without incident”, and dismissed what it referred to as “false reporting about deaths, mass injuries and chaos”.

An Israeli attack near an aid distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation killed at least 30 people in Rafah, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported attack, which WAFA news agency said injured more than 115 people.

Officials at the field hospital said at least 175 people were wounded, without saying who opened fire on them. An Associated Press reporter saw dozens of people being treated at the hospital.

The witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds around a kilometer (1,000 yards) from an aid site run by the Israeli-backed GHF.

The foundation said in a statement that it delivered aid “without incident” early Sunday and has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent access is limited.

The Israeli army said that it is not aware at this point in time of “injuries caused by IDF fire within the Humanitarian Aid distribution site.” It added that “The matter is still under review.”

Open gallery view A youth carries an empty box of relief supplies from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as displaced Palestinians walk near a food distribution centre in Rafah in southern Gaza on Sunday. Credit: AFP/-

Eyewitnesses said thousands of people headed toward the distribution site hours before dawn, congregating at the Flag Roundabout, about a kilometer (1,000 yards) away, as they waited for the site to open. They said Israeli forces ordered people to disperse and come back later – before opening fire.

” They asked us to wait for 6 in the morning, and that we come through one secured corridor,” said one Palestinian woman who was in the crowd. “We were thousands, if not more, coming from Gaza [City], Jabalya, Deir al-Balah, and other areas.”

“Once we started going through the corridor, they opened fire from all directions,” she added. “We didn’t understand where the soldiers came from.”

Amr Abu Teiba, who was also on the scene, backed up her account, saying, “There was fire from all directions, from naval warships, from tanks and drones.”

He said he saw at least 10 bodies with gunshot wounds and several other wounded people, including women. People used carts to ferry the dead and wounded to the field hospital. “The scene was horrible,” he said.

Ibrahim Abu Saoud, another eyewitness, provided a nearly identical account. He said the military fired around 300 meters (yards) away.

Abu Saoud said he saw many people with gunshot wounds, including a young man who he said had died at the scene. “We weren’t able to help him,” he said.

Mohammed Abu Teaima, 33, said he saw Israeli forces open fire and kill his cousin and another woman as they were heading toward the distribution site. He said his cousin was shot in his chest and died at the scene. Many others were wounded, including his brother-in-law, he said.

Open gallery view Displaced Palestinians return from a food distribution centre in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday. Credit: AFP/-

“They opened heavy fire directly toward us,” he said as he was waiting outside the Red Cross field hospital for word on his wounded relative.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution of aid has been marred by chaos, and multiple witnesses have said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the delivery sites. Before Sunday, at least six people had been killed and more than 50 wounded, according to local health officials.

The foundation says the private security contractors guarding its sites have not fired on the crowds, while the Israeli military has acknowledged firing warning shots on previous occasions.

The foundation said in a statement that it distributed 16 truckloads of aid early Sunday “without incident.” It dismissed what it referred to as “false reporting about deaths, mass injuries and chaos.”

From 3h ago 10.12 BST Israeli attack near aid delivery point kills at least 22 Palestinian people in Rafah – civil defence agency We have an update on reports that Israeli forces opened fire near a US-backed aid distribution site in Rafah, killing more than 20 Palestinian people (see opening post for more details on this). Gaza’s civil defence agency said in an update that Israeli fire killed at least 22 people on Sunday, revising an earlier death toll. “The number of martyrs from the massacre at the American aid centre in Rafah has risen to at least 22, with more than 120 wounded, including children,” civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency. Gaza’s civil defence crews are the main emergency service, alongside ambulance crews, in the Strip and regularly help pull the living and the dead from underneath rubble after Israeli bombardments. Bodies of Palestinian people in the Nasser hospital who were reportedly killed by Israeli soldiers who opened fire at people gathered near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Share Updated at 10.13 BST

1h ago 12.00 BST The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a newly created private logistics group backed by the US and endorsed by Israel, has given a response to reports that dozens of Palestinian people were killed when Israeli tanks opened fire near one of its aid distribution sites in Gaza earlier today. “It is false and fabricated. All aid was distributed today without incident,” the GHF said, telling BBC News that there have been no injuries or fatalities. “We have heard that these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas. They are untrue and fabricated.” We have not been able to verify this information yet. Share

2h ago 11.41 BST Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli airstrike on the south of the country killed one person earlier today. It said an Israeli airstrike targeted a motorcycle in the village of Arnoun, in the Nabatieh region about five kilometres (three miles) from the Israeli border. The November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, brokered by France and the US, brought an official end to Israel’s assault on Lebanon last year but it remains extremely precarious. Under the agreement, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January while Hezbollah had to end its armed presence south of the Litani river along the border with Israel. But each side accuses the other of not living up to those terms. Israel delayed a promised troop withdrawal in January and continued to occupy several so-called “strategic” hilltops in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military has also carried out frequent attacks on the country, claiming it is targeting Hezbollah fighters and weapons, but many civilians have been killed in the airstrikes. Share

2h ago 11.16 BST 31 people killed after Israeli tanks open fire near Gaza aid centre – report The Reuters news agency is saying, in an updated death toll, that the reported Israeli attack near an aid distribution in Rafah killed at least 31 Palestinian people in Gaza on Sunday. Share Updated at 12.05 BST

3h ago 10.52 BST The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said it’s “currently unaware of injuries caused by IDF fire” at the humanitarian aid distribution site in Rafah, where at least 22 Palestinian people were killed this morning. “The matter is still under review,” it adds in a statement. Rescuers, medics and eyewitnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds near the aid site. Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza health ministry’s records department, said at least 25 people were killed, including two women. Share

3h ago 10.43 BST At least eight Palestinian people were killed and several others injured earlier today after an Israeli airstrike hit a vehicle in the jurat al-lout area, east of southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, Palestinian news agency Wafa is reporting. Share

3h ago 10.12 BST Israeli attack near aid delivery point kills at least 22 Palestinian people in Rafah – civil defence agency We have an update on reports that Israeli forces opened fire near a US-backed aid distribution site in Rafah, killing more than 20 Palestinian people (see opening post for more details on this). Gaza’s civil defence agency said in an update that Israeli fire killed at least 22 people on Sunday, revising an earlier death toll. “The number of martyrs from the massacre at the American aid centre in Rafah has risen to at least 22, with more than 120 wounded, including children,” civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency. Gaza’s civil defence crews are the main emergency service, alongside ambulance crews, in the Strip and regularly help pull the living and the dead from underneath rubble after Israeli bombardments. View image in fullscreen Bodies of Palestinian people in the Nasser hospital who were reportedly killed by Israeli soldiers who opened fire at people gathered near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Share Updated at 10.13 BST

3h ago 09.58 BST US envoy says Hamas’ response to Gaza ceasefire proposal is ‘unacceptable’ In other developments, Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, said on Saturday it had submitted its response containing some amendments to a proposal presented by Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to mediators. Hamas said that under the deal, it will release 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in return for Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners – a change to the US’s latest proposal that will make it more difficult for Israel to resume its assault on Gaza if talks on a permanent ceasefire are not completed by the end of the truce. The updated proposal includes a demand for an end to the war, which had previously been a red line for Israel, and envisions the release of the Israelis held captive in Gaza being spread out more throughout the 60-day truce, rather than in two batches on the first and seventh day as the US offer suggested. Witkoff responded on Saturday evening by saying the Hamas response was “totally unacceptable and only takes us backward”. A senior Hamas official responded that the group “did not reject” the hostage release proposal, and that Witkoff’s response to their answer was “unfair” and showed “complete bias” in favour of Israel. View image in fullscreen Steve Witkoff has urged Hamas to accept the proposal as a step towards talks for a permanent ceasefire. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Share

4h ago 09.50 BST Israel imposed its aid blockade in early March, cutting off all supplies including food, medicine, shelter and fuel in what has been condemned as the collective punishment of the civilian population in Gaza. The aid was only partially lifted because of strong international pressure. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before the easing of restrictions that Israel must not let Gaza sink into famine for “practical and diplomatic reasons”, with US senators and key allies telling him they could not handle images of mass hunger. The IPC estimated that nearly 71,000 children under the age of five were expected to be “acutely malnourished”, with 14,100 cases expected to be severe in the next 11 months. Share

4h ago 09.29 BST What is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s role in aid distribution? As we mentioned in the opening post, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has taken over the handling of aid in the territory. The GHF is using private American security and logistics companies to transport aid into Gaza for distribution by civilian teams at what are meant to be secure distribution sites. It aims to bypass the UN as the main supplier of aid to the 2.1 million people in Gaza, where the population has been brought to the brink of famine by an 11-week Israeli aid blockade that was only eased just over a week ago. View image in fullscreen A Palestinian person carries an empty box of relief supplies from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, as displaced people walk near a food distribution centre in Rafah. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images The amount of aid being allowed into the Strip is still totally inadequate for the population’s needs. The UN and aid groups have pushed back against the new system led by GHF, accusing Israel of trying to use food as a weapon. The new system has been described as unworkable, dangerous and potentially unlawful by aid agencies because it could lead to the forced mass transfer of populations. The GHF says it distributed two million meals this week, a figure we have not yet been able to independently verify. Israel set up the plan after accusing Hamas of stealing aid, something the Palestinian militant group denies. The GHF launch was marred by tumultuous scenes on Tuesday when Israeli troops opened fire on a large crowd, killing at least one civilian and injuring dozens of other Palestinian people. Share Updated at 09.38 BST

More than 30 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire on Sunday as they went to receive food at an aid distribution point set up by an Israeli-backed foundation in Gaza, according to witnesses,, with a hospital run by the Red Cross confirming it was treating many wounded.

Witnesses told the Associated Press that Israeli forces had opened fire as they headed toward the aid distribution site in Rafah run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

“There were many martyrs, including women,” Ibrahim Abu Saoud, 40, told the Associated Press. “We were about 300 metres away from the military.”

Saoud said he saw many people with gunshot wounds, including a young man who he said had died at the scene. “We weren’t able to help him,” he said.

Media reports said dozens of people were being treated at the hospital after the latest incident at the controversial site in Rafah. Officials at the field hospital did not say who opened fire but added that another 175 people were wounded. An Associated Press reporter saw dozens of people being treated at the hospital.

View image in fullscreen Bodies of Palestinians being brought to the Nasser hospital after Israeli soldiers opened fire at Palestinians trying to reach the points where US aid is distributed west of Rafah city. Photograph: Abdallah F.s. Alattar/ Anadolu/Getty Images

The local Palestinian Red Crescent, affiliated with the international Red Cross, said its medical teams had recovered the bodies of 23 Palestinians and treated another 23 injured near an aid collection site in Rafah. Local health authorities said at least 31 bodies had so far arrived at Nasser hospital.

The Red Crescent also reported that a further 14 Palestinians were injured near a separate aid distribution site in central Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces said they were “currently unaware” of injuries caused by their fire at the aid site, but that they were looking into it. The foundation claimed in a statement that it delivered aid “without incident” early on Sunday and has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent access is limited.

Thousands of people headed toward the distribution site hours before dawn. As they approached the site, Israeli forces ordered them to disperse and come back later, witnesses said. When the crowds reached the Flag Roundabout, about 1km away, at about 3am, Israeli forces opened fire, the witnesses said.

Mohammed Abu Teaima, 33, said he saw Israeli forces open fire and kill his cousin and another woman as they were heading to the hub. He said his cousin was shot in his chest and died at the scene. Many others were wounded, including his brother-in-law, he said.

“They opened heavy fire directly toward us,” he said as he was waiting outside the Red Cross field hospital for word on his wounded relative.

‘‘There was fire from all directions, from naval warships, from tanks and drones,” said Amr Abu Teiba, who was in the crowd.

He said he saw at least 10 bodies with gunshot wounds and several other wounded people, including women. People used carts to ferry the dead and wounded to the field hospital. “The scene was horrible,” he said.

Reuters footage showed ambulance vehicles carrying injured people to Nasser hospital. Other clips emerged showing people running and ducking, with apparent gunfire audible in the background. One piece of footage seems to have been filmed in the Salah al-Din Road, just south of aid distribution site in the Netzarim corridor.

Doctors at the Nasser hospital reported chaotic scenes, with dozens of bodies being brought in. It was not clear whether the dead were all people killed at the aid hub.

View image in fullscreen Bodies of Palestinians arrive at the Nasser hospital. Photograph: Abed Rahim Khatib/ Anadolu/Getty Images

The hub is part of a controversial new aid system.

On 28 May, Hamas accused Israel of killing at least three Palestinians and wounding 46 near one of the GHF’s distribution sites, an accusation the group denied. The Israeli military said its troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound to re-establish control as thousands of Palestinians rushed to an aid distribution site.

Israel imposed a blockade on all supplies in March, saying Hamas was seizing deliveries for its fighters, which the group denies. Earlier this month, a global hunger monitor said half a million people in the strip faced starvation.

The IPC estimated that nearly 71,000 children under the age of five were expected to be “acutely malnourished”, with 14,100 cases expected to be severe in the next 11 months.

The UN and other humanitarian organisations have rejected the new system for food distribution, saying it would not be able to meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and allowed Israel to use food as a weapon to control the population. They have also said there was a risk of friction between Israeli troops and hungry people seeking supplies.

The organisations added that the newly formed group had no experience and so would not be able to handle the logistics of feeding more than 2 million people in a devastated combat zone, a prediction the dangerous scenes in recent days appeared to confirm.

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), Philippe Lazzarini, said on Wednesday that the new – US-backed – distribution model was a waste of resources and a distraction from “atrocities”.

The incident took place as Hamas and Israel exchanged blame over a faltering effort to secure a ceasefire. Hamas said on Saturday it had submitted its response containing some amendments to a proposal presented by Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to mediators, the most concrete sign of progress towards a ceasefire since March.

The Palestinian group said in a statement that under the deal, it will release 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in return for Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners – a change to the US’s latest proposal that will make it more difficult for Israel to resume fighting if talks on a permanent ceasefire are not completed by the end of the truce.

The updated proposal includes a demand for an end to the war, which had previously been a red line for Israel, and envisions the release of the Israelis held captive in Gaza being spread out more throughout the 60-day truce, rather than in two batches on the first and seventh day as the US offer suggested.

Witkoff responded on Saturday evening by saying the Hamas response was “totally unacceptable and only takes us backward”.

“Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks, which we can begin immediately this coming week,” he said. “That is the only way we can close a 60-day ceasefire deal in the coming days in which half of the living hostages and half of those who are deceased will come home to their families and in which we can have at the proximity talks substantive negotiations in good faith to try to reach a permanent ceasefire.”

The Israeli prime minister’s office said: “While Israel has agreed to the updated Witkoff outline for the release of our hostages, Hamas continues to adhere to its refusal … Israel will continue its action for the return of our hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”

A senior Hamas official responded that the group “did not reject” the hostage release proposal, and that Witkoff’s response to their answer was “unfair” and showed “complete bias” in favour of Israel.

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report

Exact circumstances of today’s incident remain unclear

Sebastian Usher

Middle East analyst

A number of sources in Rafah in southern Gaza have reported that Palestinians gathering near an aid distribution centre were killed or wounded in the early hours of this morning by what they say was Israeli tank fire.

Images have been circulating of the dead and wounded being taken on donkey carts to the nearest treatment centres.

A British surgeon in Gaza said there had been what he called a mass casualty incident. But the exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has denied there were injuries or fatalities at its distribution site – and it accuses Hamas of being behind the reports.

The incident comes hours after Hamas delivered a non-committal response to the latest US-backed ceasefire proposal – which made clear the distance between the two sides still remains too wide to bridge.