Gaza media accuses Israel: are aid sites deadly traps for starving Palestinians?

At least 27 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip on June 3, according to local health authorities, marking a grim escalation in violence around aid operations.

The Gaza Government Media Office accused Israel of a "horrific, intentionally repeated crime," alleging that starving Palestinians are being lured to US-backed aid distribution centers only to be fired upon. Since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operations on May 27, 102 aid seekers have been killed and 490 injured at sites in Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes at the Rafah distribution point, with Palestinians scrambling to collect food amid no organized system. One report noted Israeli forces opened fire randomly, using quadcopters and live ammunition.

The Israeli military stated its forces fired on individuals who left designated access routes near the Rafah center and said it is investigating the incident. It also issued evacuation orders in southern Gaza districts, warning of forceful action against militants.

The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first aid sites last week to address widespread hunger among Gaza's war-battered population, many displaced by ongoing fighting.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres expressed being "appalled" by reports of Palestinians killed and wounded while seeking aid and called for an independent investigation.

Meanwhile, Hamas condemned the GHF, accusing it of using aid to displace Gaza residents rather than provide relief.

This deadly pattern raises urgent questions about the safety and neutrality of aid distribution in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict.

Key quotes and stats:
"a horrific, intentionally repeated crime" – Gaza Government Media Office
27 killed June 3; 102 total killed since May 27; 490 injured – Gaza health authorities
"appalled" and calls for independent investigation – U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres
"chaos," "no system," "Israeli forces opened fire randomly" – witness accounts

At least 27 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire near a Gaza food distribution site on June 3, raising accusations from Gaza media that Israel uses aid sites as deadly traps. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s US-backed aid efforts face criticism amid chaos and calls for independent investigations.