Gaza’s civil defense agency reported on Saturday that Israeli forces have killed at least 36 Palestinians, including six individuals near a U.S.-backed aid distribution center in the southern district of Rafah.
According to Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the civil defense, the six were killed around 7:00 a.m. near the Al-Alam roundabout, where people had gathered in hopes of receiving humanitarian aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) distribution center, located approximately a kilometer away.
The Israeli military told AFP that troops had fired “warning shots” at individuals who were “advancing in a way that endangered the troops.”
This incident is the latest reported near the GHF aid center, which had recently resumed distributions after a brief suspension earlier in the week due to similar events. On Saturday, the GHF stated it had not distributed aid because of “direct threats” from Hamas.
Later on Saturday, the Israeli army announced an operation in Gaza City that resulted in the death of Asaad Abu Sharia, reportedly the leader of the Mujahideen Brigades, a group closely linked to Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas. Israel has accused the group of involvement in the deaths of hostages taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz near the border.
The Israeli military has intensified operations in Gaza in recent weeks, describing the actions as a renewed effort to defeat Hamas.
The health ministry in Gaza, administered by Hamas, reported that the overall death toll from the conflict has reached 54,772, with the majority being civilians. The United Nations considers these figures reliable.
