Mass Casualties in Gaza: Deaths Also Reported at Aid Facilities among Palestinians - Mass Casualties in Gaza: Deaths Reported at Relief Sites
In the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip, a troubling trend has emerged: repeated incidents of violence near humanitarian aid distribution centers. Since late May 2025, at least 798 people have been killed while trying to access aid, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The majority of these casualties, **615 deaths**, have been documented at or near aid distribution centers operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US and Israeli-backed organization. An additional 183 deaths are believed to have occurred along routes of UN and other humanitarian aid convoys.
The causes of these tragic incidents are primarily due to gunfire, with Israeli forces reportedly firing on Palestinians near these aid points. Numerous incidents have been reported, such as on 6 June when 8 Palestinians were killed and 61 wounded near the Rafah distribution center, and on 8 June when at least 13 were killed and 173 injured near the same site.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with reports describing the aid sites as "human slaughterhouses" by the Gaza Health Ministry. Malnutrition levels have also reached an all-time high, exacerbating the crisis.
The international community has expressed strong criticism of the aid distribution model, with the United Nations calling the GHF’s approach "inherently unsafe" and a violation of humanitarian principles of impartiality. The UN has emphasized the unacceptable choice facing Palestinians between risking death to get aid or starving at home.
Meanwhile, the GHF has disputed the UN figures and allegations, claiming that other humanitarian groups' aid was often looted and denying that violence occurred at its sites.
As the crisis continues, calls for improved protection of civilians and urgent reforms to the aid delivery system in Gaza are growing louder. The international community is urging all parties to take immediate steps to prevent further loss of life.
It is important to note that the Israeli army has not provided any information on the deaths at aid distribution centers, and their claims of attacking targets of terrorist organizations could not be independently verified.
The Gaza war, which began with an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has resulted in over 57,000 Palestinians reported dead, according to Hamas-controlled health authorities, without distinction between civilians and fighters. The war has also resulted in many deaths and hostage situations in Israel.
Reports of the deaths at aid distribution centers could not be independently verified and confirmed at first, but the mounting evidence of these tragic incidents underscores the urgent need for reform and protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a regulation on the implementation of the European Union's external action programme, particularly in relation to war-and-conflicts, politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice, considering the troubling trend of violence near humanitarian aid distribution centers in the Gaza Strip, where at least 798 people have been killed while trying to access aid since late May 2025.
The international community's scrutiny of the aid distribution model in the Gaza Strip, specifically the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's approach, extends to the broader sphere of politics and international relations, as calls for improved protection of civilians and urgent reforms to the aid delivery system are growing louder in light of the ongoing crisis.
