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Gaza's Palestinian government accused Israeli forces of transforming humanitarian aid distribution areas into "mass death zones for civilians" following attacks at two separate locations that killed at least 31 Palestinians and wounded 176 others.
According to local sources, Israeli forces conducted attacks at aid distribution points in Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor, targeting civilians attempting to access humanitarian assistance.
The Gaza authorities described the incidents as part of a systematic campaign, with the government media office stating that Israeli-US-managed aid distribution areas have become "death traps where civilians are collectively targeted."
Israeli forces opened direct fire from armored vehicles on civilians attempting to reach humanitarian aid distribution points in Rafah's Mawasi area, killing at least 30 Palestinians and wounding 150 others, according to local sources.
The attack targeted hundreds of civilians who were moving to access humanitarian aid when Israeli occupation forces fired directly from armored vehicles.
Palestinian authorities characterized this as the latest in a series of similar attacks that have increased in recent days at aid distribution sites.
In a separate incident, Israeli military drones targeted civilians gathered to receive aid in the Netzarim Corridor area in the central Gaza Strip, killing at least 1 person and wounding 26 others, including women and children, according to initial reports.
Awda Hospital in Nusayrat Refugee Camp announced that some of the wounded are in serious condition and that the death toll could rise.
The drone attack represents another method being used to target civilians seeking humanitarian assistance, according to Palestinian sources.
The Gaza government statement characterized the aid distribution areas as "death traps where civilians are collectively targeted" rather than genuine humanitarian aid centers.
"The occupying Israel has turned aid into a war tool and follows a tactic of collectively punishing civilians through this means," the statement alleged, adding that these practices are supported by the United States, making Washington responsible for the crimes committed.
The statement claimed that witness accounts, field journalists' reports, and international documentation suggest the incidents in aid areas are part of a systematic "extermination" plan.
Gaza officials alleged that people are first subjected to hunger and then gathered in specific areas under the pretext of aid distribution, where they become targets.
"This situation constitutes a clear war crime and crime against humanity under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide," the statement declared.
The authorities claim that the aid distribution points are controlled by an American-Israeli company under Israeli military supervision, with the civilian population gathering there hoping to receive assistance.
Gaza authorities called on the United Nations and the Security Council to take several actions:
The statement emphasized that Israel's model of "safe zones and humanitarian corridors" has proven to be "failed, dangerous, and deliberately targeting civilians."
The Gaza government appealed to the international community, particularly Arab and Islamic countries, to take urgent action to save Gaza's population.
"Massacres are being committed in broad daylight, in front of cameras, before the eyes of the entire world. Remaining silent against these crimes means being complicit in the massacres being committed," the statement declared.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, hundreds of civilians in Rafah's Mawasi area were moving to access humanitarian aid when Israeli occupation forces opened direct fire from armored vehicles.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by both the United States and Israel, recently began operations in Gaza.
While some Palestinians have expressed concerns about its neutrality and biometric screening procedures, Israeli officials stated the system allows screening recipients to exclude anyone connected with Hamas.
On May 28, Palestinian media reported Israel killed at least three Palestinians and wounded 46 near one of the GHF's distribution sites, an accusation the aid group denied.
The Israeli military stated its troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound to reestablish control as thousands of Palestinians rushed to an aid distribution site.
Sources indicated that similar attacks have increased in recent days, with 17 additional civilians reportedly killed while waiting for aid in just the past few days.
Israel has closed all border crossings for more than 90 days, preventing humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. The prevention of basic necessities, particularly food supplies, has left millions of Gaza residents facing mass starvation.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli attacks supported by the United States have caused unprecedented destruction in Gaza.
More than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 124,000 wounded in ongoing attacks, with the majority of casualties being women and children.
Additionally, more than 11,000 people are missing, and hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced.
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