The civil defense agency in Gaza has reported that Israeli attacks resulted in the deaths of at least ten individuals across the Palestinian territory.
“Five martyrs and numerous wounded were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis after the (Israeli) occupation forces opened fire on civilians around 6am,” stated Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for the agency.
According to witnesses and Mr. Bassal, the civilians were on their way to an aid distribution center west of Rafah, in southern Gaza, close to a site operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-Israeli-backed group that has faced criticism from the United Nations and various humanitarian organizations.
Palestinians are seen walking along a road to collect humanitarian aid packages from the GHF in Rafah.
The United Nations has opted not to collaborate with the GHF, citing concerns regarding its practices and impartiality.
“Around 4:30 am, individuals began gathering in the Al-Alam area of Rafah. After approximately an hour and a half, hundreds moved toward the site, prompting the army to open fire,” witness Abdallah Nour al-Din reported to AFP.
The GHF issued a statement claiming that there had been no incidents or injuries “at any of our three sites” that day.
The foundation asserted it had distributed over a million meals, including more than 600,000 via a pilot program of “direct to community distribution” through “community leaders”.
AFP photographers in central Gaza observed crowds of Palestinians departing a GHF facility on foot, carrying boxes adorned with the group’s logo.
Five individuals were reported dead following a strike on a tent.
Outside Nasser Hospital, where emergency workers brought the casualties, AFPTV footage captured mourners grieving over blood-stained body bags.
“I can’t bear to see you like this,” Lin al-Daghma said as she stood by her father’s body.
She and another individual corroborated Mr. Nour al-Din’s account, discussing the difficulties faced in accessing food aid after more than two months of a total Israeli blockade on Gaza.
The UN has repeatedly warned of impending famine in Gaza.
According to the civil defense agency, numerous fatalities have occurred near GHF distribution points since late May.
A limited amount of aid has been reaching Gaza in the past weeks.
Mr. Bassal also reported that another five people, including two young girls, lost their lives in an overnight Israeli assault that targeted a tent in the Al-Mawasi displaced persons camp in southern Gaza.
Israel’s army accused Mr. Bassal of having ties to Hamas, a claim he has denied.
The army shared documents, which it alleged were Hamas membership lists, with the media, without clarifying the source or method of acquisition for the undated materials.
“I do not work for any military organization,” Mr. Bassal insisted to AFP, emphasizing that the agency’s mission is directed by international law.
The health ministry in Gaza stated that the death toll from Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza has now reached 54,880, primarily consisting of civilians. The UN deems these figures to be reliable.
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The IDF claims to have identified the body of Hamas chief Mohammed Sinwar.
The Israeli military announced that it had located and confirmed the identity of Mohammed Sinwar, presumed leader of Hamas in Gaza, three weeks after he was reported killed in an airstrike.
“In a targeted operation by the IDF… and following the completion of an identification process, it is now confirmed that the body of Mohammed Sinwar was found in the underground tunnel route beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis,” the army stated.
The Israeli army claimed Sinwar was “eliminated,” along with several other members of the militant organization, on May 13.
<p”During searches in the underground tunnel route, several items belonging to Sinwar… were discovered, alongside additional intelligence findings that were forwarded for further investigation,” the military remarked.
Army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin informed journalists escorted by Israeli forces to the site that Sinwar’s body was located “beneath the hospital, right under the emergency room, in a compound, a few rooms”.
He noted they had confirmed with “DNA checks and other assessments” that the body indeed belonged to Mohammed Sinwar.
Mohammed Sinwar’s older brother, Yahya Sinwar, accused by Israel of orchestrating Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, was killed in October 2024.
Experts believe that Mohammed Sinwar likely assumed leadership of the armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, after the death of its leader Mohammed Deif.
Following the killings of several Hamas leaders by Israel since October 7, Mohammed Sinwar was thought to be central to decision-making regarding indirect negotiations with Israel, hostage issues, and the management of Hamas’s armed wing.
