The genocide in Gaza deepened further on June 2 as Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of starving Palestinians gathered to receive aid, killing at least 31 people and injuring around 175, according to health officials in Rafah.

 

The incident occurred at an aid distribution point, where large numbers of civilians had gathered amid severe shortages of food and medicine. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed multiple fatalities during the incident, further highlighting the dangers Palestinians face in accessing necessities.

 

While the Israeli military denied targeting the crowd directly, it admitted to firing warning shots in the air to disperse what it called a “gathering near a sensitive area.”

 

The situation has sparked renewed criticism from international organizations, particularly over the handling and oversight of aid delivery in Gaza. The United Nations and other global bodies have raised concerns over aid distribution being managed under the supervision of the U.S. and Israeli authorities instead of neutral humanitarian groups.

 

Aid deliveries to Gaza were completely blocked by Israel from March 2, worsening an already dire humanitarian situation. The blockade led to critical shortages of food, water, and medicine, with several deaths reported, including children, due to hunger.

 

Last month, Israel partially lifted the restrictions, allowing limited aid into Gaza. However, the UN’s senior humanitarian coordinator, Tom Fletcher, said the volume of permitted assistance was still far from sufficient. “The limited aid being sent is nowhere near enough to meet the needs of over two million starving people,” he stated.

 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also condemned the repeated deadly attacks near aid distribution zones. Calling for an immediate and impartial investigation, Türk said, “Civilians continue to die around aid distribution points for a third day in a row. This morning, we received reports of dozens more killed and injured.”

 

He warned, “Palestinians are either starving or getting killed trying to access food. This military system endangers lives and violates international standards of humanitarian aid delivery, as the UN has repeatedly warned.”

 

Meanwhile, Israeli bombardment across Gaza continues, further compounding the humanitarian disaster. The Israeli military has targeted areas where aid is being distributed in grave violation of international law.