At least 31 dead near aid distribution site, Gaza health ministry says

Another humanitarian aid distribution " marred by chaos," laments the Associated Press (AP) . According to this American news agency, which cites a report from the Gaza Health Ministry, under the responsibility of Hamas, at least 31 people were killed this Sunday, June 1, near a humanitarian aid distribution point in Rafah, in the south of the enclave.

A hospital operated by the Red Cross confirmed it was receiving many injured people, The Guardian reported . Qatari media outlet Al-Jazeera for its part puts forward the figure of 32 deaths.

But what happened? Witnesses on the scene reported that “ Israeli tanks and drones opened fire” early this morning on Palestinians who were on their way to a humanitarian aid distribution, AP reports, adding that the incident took place “about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the distribution site.”

Witnesses in Rafah, south of Gaza, told Al Jazeera of the chaotic scenes: "The Israelis opened fire on us. We ran to get food, we were met with gunfire, bombs and shells," said one Palestinian.

According to The New York Times, Hamas accused Israeli forces of attacking people who had gathered to search for food. But the American daily explains that it “was unable to verify the exact circumstances of the attack.” “It was not possible to determine exactly who opened fire in the city of Rafah,” it explains.

The Israeli military said it was not aware of any injuries caused by Israeli gunfire "inside the aid site," but did not immediately rule out the possibility of gunfire nearby, the New York Times reported. According to the Israeli daily Ha'Aretz , the IDF said the incident "is still under review."

The distribution was managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) , “a controversial organization backed by Israel and the United States” and whose goal is “ to bypass the UN as the main provider of aid to the 2.1 million people in Gaza ,” the BBC reports . Contacted by the British media, the GHF denied any violence on the sidelines of the distribution: “ This is false and fabricated. All the aid was distributed today without incident .”