RAFAH, GAZA — At least 31 people were killed and more than 100 injured after Israeli tank fire struck an area near a humanitarian aid distribution point in southern Gaza on Sunday, according to Gaza’s health authorities and aid workers.
The incident occurred near the Al-Alam roundabout in Rafah, where thousands of Palestinians had gathered near a center operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, witnesses and medical sources said. Israeli tanks reportedly approached the area before opening fire.
Footage and images from the scene showed chaos and panic as injured civilians, some reportedly transported on donkey carts due to the lack of ambulances, were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis — one of the last remaining partially functioning medical facilities in the region.
The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that more than 150 people were injured in the strike. The Israeli military has not publicly commented on the incident as of Monday morning.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza labeled the strike a “massacre,” accusing Israeli forces of targeting civilians seeking aid in what they described as a “death trap” rather than a relief site.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions and a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where access to food, water, and medicine remains limited. It also follows Washington’s recent dismissal of a Hamas ceasefire proposal, which a U.S. official described as “totally unacceptable.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continue operations in Rafah, where they say remaining Hamas battalions are hiding. However, the densely populated area is also home to hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians, complicating evacuation and aid efforts.
The United Nations and humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that the situation in Rafah could spiral further if hostilities are not halted. Aid groups have also expressed concerns about the safety of distribution points following recent incidents involving strikes or gunfire near civilian gathering areas.
International calls for restraint have intensified as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 36,000, according to local health authorities, amid continued Israeli military operations following Hamas’ October 7 attacks on southern Israel.Palestinians have been returning to Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, following reports 31 people were killed after an Israeli tank opened fire near an aid distribution centre this morning.
