According to Al Jazeera News: Israeli strikes killed at least 58 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, many of them near a food distribution center backed by the U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to local medics. The GHF site, meant to provide critical aid to the starving population, has now become a symbol of desperation — and death.
Medical officials at Al-Awda and Al-Aqsa hospitals reported that 15 people were killed near the GHF distribution hub by the Netzarim Corridor, despite the foundation saying it was closed that day. Witnesses said thousands of desperate Gazans had gathered near the area regardless, driven by hunger after weeks of blockade.
Since GHF began operations on May 27, at least 274 people have reportedly died and more than 2,000 have been injured near its aid centers, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. With Israel’s military campaign in its 15th week, most of Gaza is displaced and verging on famine.
Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah, said civilians are increasingly referring to aid stations as “execution sites,” fearing the danger yet feeling they have no alternative.
Israel imposed a total blockade on March 2, halting food and medicine. Under international pressure, limited aid resumed in late May — far short of what’s needed. Critics, including the UN, argue the GHF’s distribution model, backed by Israel and the U.S., is politicized and militarized, lacking neutrality and failing to meet humanitarian needs.
Later Saturday, the Israeli army ordered evacuations from Khan Younis and surrounding areas, declaring new operations imminent. More than 80% of Gaza is now under forced displacement or military zones, according to UN data.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 55,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s campaign, most of them civilians. Ceasefire talks remain stalled.
