Mourners wait for the funerals of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, according to medical sources, at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, June 7, 2025. (Credit: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)
Gaza’s civil defense said Saturday that 13 people were killed by Israeli forces in two separate incidents, including six who died near a U.S.-backed aid center in the southern part of the Palestinian territory.
Around 7 a.m. local time, “six people were killed and several others wounded by Israeli occupation forces near the Alam roundabout,” said civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal. He told AFP that civilians had gathered in the area seeking humanitarian aid from a U.S.-supported center located about one kilometer away, in the Rafah governorate.
A witness, Samir Abu Hadid, told AFP that thousands of people had gathered near the roundabout. “As some tried to move toward the aid center, Israeli occupation forces opened fire from armored vehicles stationed nearby — first into the air, then at civilians,” he said.
Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was verifying the reports.
The U.S.-backed aid facility is operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an organization with opaque funding sources that has received support from both the United States and Israel. Several deadly incidents have taken place near the site in recent days.
The GHF began operations in late May following a partial easing of a total blockade imposed by Israel for more than two months. The blockade had cut off all humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has been devastated by 21 months of war and, according to the United Nations, faces the risk of famine. The U.N. has refused to work with the GHF, citing concerns over its methods and neutrality.
Also on Saturday, seven people — including children — were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli airstrike around 4:45 a.m. on a home near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, in the northern part of the territory, according to Bassal.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing the reports.
Gaza’s civil defense said Saturday that 13 people were killed by Israeli forces in two separate incidents, including six who died near a U.S.-backed aid center in the southern part of the Palestinian territory.Around 7 a.m. local time, “six people were killed and several others wounded by Israeli occupation forces near the Alam roundabout,” said civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal. He told AFP that civilians had gathered in the area seeking humanitarian aid from a U.S.-supported center located about one kilometer away, in the Rafah governorate.A witness, Samir Abu Hadid, told AFP that thousands of people had gathered near the roundabout. “As some tried to move toward the aid center, Israeli occupation forces opened fire from armored vehicles stationed nearby — first into the air, then at civilians,” he...
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