Israeli Forces Shoot and Kill Over 30 Gazans Seeking Food Aid, Health Ministry Reports

Israeli troops opened fire on Gazans seeking food aid in the territory, killing at least 32 people, according to the Palestinian health ministry and witnesses. The bodies were taken to Nasser Medical Complex along with numerous injured individuals. A man, holding his deceased son, lamented, \"He just wanted to eat, what could I do?\"

It is uncertain where the shooting occurred. An eyewitness mentioned that it happened around 4 kilometers from an aid distribution point managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli- and US-backed organization. The Israeli military stated that troops encountered suspects approaching them during operational activity in the Rafah area, about a kilometer from the aid site, at night.

The GHF denied any incidents at or near its distribution sites on that day. They clarified that the reported IDF activity resulting in fatalities happened before their sites opened and at a distance from their nearest site. Many Gazans have to travel long distances to reach aid distribution points due to the scarcity of food in the strip and lack of transportation.

Dr. Travis Melin at the Nasser hospital described the victims as having severe gunshot wounds to the torso and head. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that hundreds of people have died while trying to access aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating in May.

UNRWA's director of communications called the current aid distribution system in Gaza a \"death trap for starving Palestinians\" and advocated for the organization to lead aid efforts again. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas are facing challenges with both parties blaming each other for delays in negotiations.

According to the source: CNN.