Officials from the Hamas health ministry and witnesses report that at least 26 Palestinians lost their lives and around 175 were injured while heading to a food distribution point in the Gaza Strip. However, Israeli authorities dispute these reports.

Witnesses claim that Israeli forces fired upon crowds from a distance of about 1,000 yards at a location managed by the Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). According to a Palestinian journalist from the BBC, thousands had gathered near this aid site in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, when Israeli tanks allegedly approached and began shooting at the crowd.

The Israeli Defense Forces stated they are “currently unaware of injuries caused by IDF fire within the Humanitarian Aid distribution site,” and mentioned that “the situation is still being investigated.”

“It is false and fabricated. All aid was distributed today without incident,” the GHF said. “No injuries or fatalities as noted in our daily update sent out earlier. We have heard that these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas. They are untrue and fabricated.”

The GHF has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent access is limited.

Smoke rises following an Israeli army bombardment in the Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP)

Israel and the U.S., which also backs the foundation, say the new aid system seeks to prevent Hamas from taking away aid. Israel has not provided any evidence of systematic diversion and the U.N. denies it has happened.

U.N. agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, arguing that it violates humanitarian principles since it allows Israel to control who receives aid and forces people to relocate to distribution sites.

The U.N. system has struggled to bring in aid after Israel recently slightly eased its total blockade of the territory. The groups say Israel’s restrictions, the breakdown of law and order and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.