Gaza Aid Convoys Under Fire as Israeli Attacks Escalate Amid Iran Conflict

 Rafah, Gaza Strip – June 16, 2025,  At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded on Sunday in a deadly shooting near food distribution sites in Rafah, southern Gaza, further intensifying fears that humanitarian operations in the besieged enclave are collapsing under the weight of ongoing violence and global distraction.

Eyewitnesses reported gunfire erupting around dawn as large crowds gathered near two aid distribution points in the Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood. The sites, managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), were set up as part of a new aid mechanism supported by Israel and the United States, following months of strained operations by the United Nations.

Despite Israeli assurances that Gaza remains a secondary theatre to the intensifying confrontation with Iran, Palestinian residents say violence in the Strip has escalated sharply in recent days. Civilian testimonies and health officials cite near-daily incidents of shootings near aid centres, many of which have resulted in casualties.

“There were wounded, dead, and martyrs,” said Ahmed al-Masri, who had gone to collect aid but returned empty-handed. “It’s a trap.”

Umm Hosni al-Najjar, a resident of Rafah, described a harrowing scene as she joined others at the distribution site around 4:30 a.m. “Just minutes after I arrived, shooting began as people were moving toward the trucks,” she said.

The United Nations has expressed growing alarm at the deteriorating conditions in Gaza. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, condemned the violence near food convoys, warning of catastrophic consequences.

“Hunger must never be met with bullets,” Fletcher said in a statement. “Humanitarians must be allowed to do their work. Life-saving aid must reach people in need, in line with humanitarian principles. Without immediate and massively scaled-up access to the basic means of survival, we risk a descent into famine, further chaos, and the loss of more lives.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have acknowledged firing warning shots in certain cases but deny targeting civilians. However, local medical personnel and independent observers report that dozens have been killed in recent weeks as a result of live fire around food distribution zones.

In Rafah, the Sunday shootings were said to have occurred several hundred metres from the distribution points themselves. The GHF has stated there was no violence at or immediately around its locations, but acknowledged pausing some deliveries in recent days to review safety protocols with the military.

Still, frustration and desperation continue to mount. Thirty-two-year-old Mahmoud Abu Haloub, displaced multiple times since the onset of the war, told The Guardian that the situation has sharply deteriorated since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Iran.

“The number of aid trucks has dropped, and the risk has increased. The Israeli army is more lethal now—shells and bombs kill many, and the world stays silent about these massacres,” he said.

Others expressed concern that international attention has shifted away from Gaza amid the escalating regional conflict. “The world’s shift of attention toward what is happening with Iran is a disaster for the people of Gaza, especially amid the current famine,” said Mohammed Zuhair from Beit Lahiya. “We have been pushed to the margins.”

Sixty-five-year-old Maryam Al-Shafie, a widow caring for 12 family members, said her grandson narrowly escaped the latest shooting. “He went for food and came back with nothing. We won’t let him go again—it’s too dangerous,” she said. “Since the war with Iran began, our suffering has only deepened. No one is talking about Gaza anymore.”

Humanitarian experts warn that Israel’s blockade, paired with its months-long military campaign, has devastated food supply lines and created the conditions for widespread famine. The new GHF-operated distribution system, meant to streamline aid deliveries, has been marred by confusion, insecurity, and accusations of undermining neutrality.

The United Nations has rejected the alternative framework, insisting it violates humanitarian principles and places undue risk on both aid workers and civilians. Meanwhile, the UN’s own food distribution efforts have stalled due to Israeli restrictions, security threats, and the ongoing breakdown of law and order in Gaza.

According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began—figures that include both combatants and civilians.

As regional tensions deepen and attention drifts to other theatres, human rights groups and aid organisations warn that Gaza is facing not just a humanitarian emergency, but an existential one.