By Harun Nasrullah
London (The Muslim News): At least 58 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday in a series of deadly Israeli strikes across the besieged Gaza Strip, including a particularly harrowing attack in Rafah that targeted civilians awaiting humanitarian assistance, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
In a statement, the Ministry said 27 Palestinians were killed and more than 90 others injured in the Al-Alam area of Rafah when an Israeli airstrike struck a group of displaced civilians gathered at a food distribution site designated by Israel itself. The site was part of an aid mechanism introduced by Israel on May 27, ostensibly to facilitate humanitarian access. The Health Ministry warned that the death toll remains preliminary as many of the wounded are in critical condition.
The Israeli military confirmed the attack, claiming it had targeted “suspects advancing towards forces”, none were armed, Israel acknowledge. However, the incident is widely seen as another example of the mounting pattern of strikes on Palestinians attempting to access life-saving aid.
Elsewhere in the Strip, Israeli bombardments claimed more lives. Medical sources reported that nine Palestinians were killed in two separate attacks in Gaza City, while four others, including a child, were killed in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Two more civilians lost their lives in additional strikes in the north, with their bodies taken to Al-Awda Hospital. In central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, shelling of a tent sheltering displaced families killed three people and injured over 20. In Khan Younis, six more Palestinians were killed—including two children—when Israeli warplanes struck civilian homes and tents, according to the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA.
The violence continued into the evening. WAFA reported that an airstrike in the Jorat al-Lout area, south of Khan Younis, killed four civilians. In Deir al-Balah, a drone strike on Abu Arif Street killed three more. In Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, Israeli bombing of a phone-charging station near Al-Fadila Mosque claimed the lives of a father and son. Additional bombardments were reported near As-Sorani Mountain in the Tuffah area and eastern Jabalia.
Since the start of the war in October 2023, the death toll in Gaza has risen to at least 54,510, with 124,901 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. A ministry statement on Tuesday confirmed that 40 bodies had been recovered in the past 24 hours alone. It noted, “Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) described the fallout from the Rafah strike as one of the gravest mass casualty incidents in recent memory. “Today is the highest number of weapon-wounded patients received in a single incident since the establishment of the field hospital over a year ago,” said the ICRC delegation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It was reported that 184 patients were brought in on Tuesday morning, all of whom stated they had been on their way to receive aid.
Hamas condemned the Israeli assault, stating, “The mechanism that degrades human dignity turned food-seeking into a deadly risk that could cost one’s life.” The group called on the United Nations to intervene and “stop the killing mechanism” by establishing humanitarian corridors under international—not Israeli—control.
The recent attacks come amid growing concern over Israel’s aid distribution plan. Israeli Army Radio reported that the plan, which aims to establish four aid distribution centres in southern and central Gaza, was also designed to facilitate the depopulation of northern Gaza. Critics, including UN officials and humanitarian organisations, argue that the mechanism bypasses established international aid channels and exposes civilians to further harm.
The European Parliament echoed these concerns on Tuesday. Its President, Roberta Metsola, called for urgent humanitarian access to Gaza, describing the situation as “catastrophic”. Speaking at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Metsola said, “We have children, women and men dying every day. And we, as the number one contributor of humanitarian aid, should be asking where that aid is going and how it is going to get to the people who need it the most.”
The International Crisis Group (ICG) issued a strong appeal to European leaders in a statement titled “Europe on Gaza: Words Are Not Enough”. The think tank urged the EU and the UK to translate their concern into concrete action. “For European Union members and the UK to have any hope of contributing to changes in Israel’s policy, they need to throw more of their economic and diplomatic weight into signalling to Israel that the Gaza campaign must end,” the statement read.
The ICG outlined several recommended steps, including banning arms sales to Israel, enforcing International Criminal Court arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials travelling to Europe, curbing preferential trade agreements, and sanctioning those promoting illegal settlement expansion. “A starting point would be to ban arms sales to Israel or, at least, forbid the use of weapons from Europe in Gaza,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, corporate involvement in aid initiatives has come under scrutiny. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) confirmed on Tuesday that it had withdrawn from the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). In a statement, BCG said it had agreed in October 2024 to provide “pro bono support to help establish an aid organization intended to operate alongside multilateral efforts to deliver humanitarian support to Gaza.” However, the company noted that “unapproved follow-on work” had been undertaken without multilateral stakeholder support and was halted on May 30.
“BCG has not and will not be paid for any of this work,” the firm stated. A formal internal review is underway, and the partner who led the project has been placed on administrative leave.
As the civilian toll climbs and aid efforts remain compromised, Tuesday’s events underscore an increasingly urgent demand for a permanent ceasefire and an effective international response to prevent further humanitarian catastrophe in besieged Gaza.
[Photo: Palestinian residents are seen leaving with their belongings using horse-drawn carts, vehicles, or on foot, seeking safety in other areas as Palestinians continue to flee the Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis after the Israeli army issued urgent evacuation warnings ahead of a possible Israeli attacks on Gaza on June 04, 2025. Photojournalist: Mahmoud Abu Hamda/AA]
