In a devastating new assault on Gaza’s civilian population, Israeli forces opened fire this morning against hundreds of Palestinians gathered near the intersection of Netzarim and the Wadi Gaza Bridge. These civilians had convened to collect food aid from a distribution center managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—an organization established by Israel and the United States to control the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the shooting has claimed the lives of 57 people and wounded over 363 since the early hours of Wednesday, 11 June. With this latest act, the death toll at aid distribution sites has now reached 224 victims, while more than 1,858 have been injured since these centers began operating.

Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for Gaza Civil Defense, confirmed that civil defense teams and ambulances have been transporting both the dead and the injured following deliberate attacks by Israeli military vehicles and unmanned aerial drones.

Despite the recurrent barrage of intermittent fire along their route, hundreds of Palestinians from areas near Netzarim and the Wadi Gaza Bridge continue to risk their lives attempting to reach the hazardous aid centers. The ability to obtain food aid is being imperiled further by Israel’s ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has maintained fuel supplies at critically low levels—severely hampering humanitarian operations throughout the enclave.

In a related incident, forces not only fired on civilians but a drone bombed a tent sheltering displaced residents in Mawasi, Khan Yunis, claiming the lives of four more people. Furthermore, artillery strikes have hit residential neighborhoods, exacerbating the suffering of a population already on the brink of collapse.

The toll on Gaza’s already fragile health system is mounting. The Ministry of Health reported that in just the past 24 hours, hospitals have admitted 123 newly dead and 474 injured, with scores of victims still trapped under rubble, unable to receive medical care. Since 18 March 2025, the cumulative death count has exceeded 4,800 and injuries have surpassed 15,300.

Hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed and facing critical shortages of medical supplies due to the Israeli blockade. In northern Gaza, all hospitals have ceased operations, and those remaining are on the verge of collapse, unable to cope with the continuous influx of casualties.

This latest escalation has ignited protests and marches, triggered by appeals from unions and the broader Palestinian community. The aim is to draw global attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

International organizations, including the United Nations, have denounced these systematic attacks on humanitarian aid centers, arguing that they are part of a deliberate attempt to forcibly displace the Palestinian population—acts which they characterize as a covert campaign of ethnic cleansing. The deadly traps at the aid distribution points stand as a grim testament to the ongoing assault on Gaza’s civilians.

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has condemned the attacks in the strongest terms and called on the international community to break its complicit silence. It also urged Arab nations to take immediate action to defend the Palestinian people and their right to live in dignity. “The health system is on the brink of collapse, and the international community must urgently intervene to save lives and stop this genocide,” Palestinian health officials warned this morning.

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