Deadly Shooting Near Gaza Relief Center Kills at Least 39 July 19, 2025 Rafah, Gaza Strip At least 39 peop

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📰 Deadly Shooting Near Gaza Relief Center Kills at Least 39
🗓️ July 19, 2025
📍 Rafah, Gaza Strip

📄At least 39 people were killed and over 100 injured in a mass shooting incident near a humanitarian relief center operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a joint Israeli-American initiative. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of July 19, prompting global outrage and further complicating ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces opened fire indiscriminately on a large crowd of Gazans approaching the center to obtain food aid. Many of the injured were young men, though children and teenagers were also among the casualties.

Dr. Atef al-Hout of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis stated, “We received an unprecedented number of casualties in a short time,” adding that the facility lacked adequate medicine and staff to treat the wounded. Dr. Mohammed Sager, also at Nasser Hospital, said most of the deceased were shot in the head or chest, with several survivors in critical condition in the ICU.

Witnesses interviewed by AP claimed that Israeli tanks and drones were equipped with machine guns used in the shooting. “They surrounded us and opened fire,” one survivor said, describing the attack as a “massacre.”

Contrarily, GHF released a statement asserting the shooting occurred far from the relief distribution site and before its scheduled opening. The Israeli military claimed that a group of individuals approached troops near Rafah and ignored repeated warnings, prompting the use of force. The IDF emphasized the incident occurred at night when the center was officially closed.

“We have repeatedly warned those in need not to approach the aid centers during early morning or nighttime hours,” GHF said.

Israel continues to enforce a strict blockade on the Gaza Strip, citing Hamas’s alleged theft of relief supplies. Aid distribution has been limited and tightly controlled by GHF since May under a U.S.-Israeli arrangement.

The incident adds fuel to ongoing controversy over the conduct of Israeli troops at humanitarian sites. It also comes as ceasefire talks mediated by the U.S. have yet to yield substantive progress.

On July 18, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that 10 hostages held in Gaza would be released “soon,” but provided no timeline or details. Trump has repeatedly claimed in recent weeks that a Gaza ceasefire and additional hostage releases were imminent, though none have yet materialized.

This latest incident is likely to intensify international scrutiny on Israel’s conduct and may derail already fragile ceasefire negotiations. Humanitarian groups may pressure for greater oversight or international presence in Gaza. Domestically, Israeli leadership will face growing questions over military engagement near aid sites, while Hamas may leverage the incident to galvanize support.

The deadly shooting near the GHF relief center underscores the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza and the dangerous intersection of military operations and civilian desperation. With ceasefire efforts faltering and violence escalating, the path to de-escalation remains fraught with volatility and distrust.

Reported from Rafah, Gaza Strip – World News War Correspondence Desk

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