Gaza aid centre attack: Red Cross says at least 21 killed and dozens shot
A humanitarian crisis has unfolded in southern Gaza, as a Red Cross field hospital in Rafah received a mass casualty influx of wounded civilians, following a disputed incident near an aid distribution site. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), 21 people were declared dead on arrival and 179 individuals — including women and children — were treated for gunshot or shrapnel wounds. This marks the highest number of weapon-wounded treated by the facility since its establishment over a year ago.
While the Hamas-run civil defence agency in Gaza accused the Israeli military of firing on civilians seeking aid, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have strongly denied this, claiming drone footage shows armed individuals firing amidst the crowds in a separate area near Khan Younis. The IDF insists no shots were fired at or near the humanitarian centre in Rafah. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which manages the aid site, also denied that the incident occurred there and attributed the claims to misinformation from Hamas.
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) confirmed its teams treated victims and raised concerns over the safety and dignity of the current aid distribution system, calling it “dehumanising, dangerous and severely ineffective.” Staff at local hospitals reportedly donated their own blood due to severe shortages.
With no international press access to Gaza, independent verification remains difficult. However, the ICRC and MSF testimonies raise pressing humanitarian concerns amid ongoing violence and deteriorating conditions on the ground.
