Palestinians gunned down while trying to reach food aid site in Gaza, hospital says
More than 30 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire on Sunday as they went to receive food at an aid distribution point set up by an Israeli-backed foundation in Gaza, according to witnesses, and a hospital run by the Red Cross confirming it was treating many wounded.
Witnesses said Israeli forces had opened fire as Palestinians headed toward the aid distribution site in Rafah run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
'My brother went to receive aid from the American distribution points in Rafah when the bullets started raining down on them,' Yarin Abu al-Naja, 44, said. 'The Israeli soldiers had started shooting at the people there. My brother went with two of his friends. One of them was critically injured in the head, the other was killed, and my brother was shot in the back.'
'He was transported to the hospital by a donkey cart – no ambulances can reach the area, and there were dozens of injured and dead,' Naja added. 'We saw him placed on the ground. There were no available beds due to the large number of casualties and dead arriving from the same location. The scenes were horrific – people missing limbs, hands or legs, others decapitated, or with open abdomens.'
Media reports said dozens of people were being treated at the hospital after the latest incident at the controversial site in Rafah. Officials at the field hospital did not say who opened fire but added that another 175 people were wounded.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said (ICRC) its field hospital in Rafah received a 'mass casualty influx' of 179 people, 21 of whom were declared dead upon arrival. 'All patients said they had been trying to reach an aid distribution site,' the ICRC added, describing it as 'the highest number of weapon-wounded in a single incident since the establishment of the field hospital over a year ago'.
Local health authorities said at least 31 of the dead were taken to Nasser hospital.
The Red Crescent also reported a further 14 Palestinians were injured near a separate aid distribution site in central Gaza.
The Israeli forces denied 'firing at civilians'. However, an Israel Defense Forces official admitted that Israeli soldiers fired 'warning shots toward several suspects who advanced toward the troops', near the aid distribution site, without specifying who the suspects were.
The Israeli-backed aid foundation claimed that it delivered aid 'without incident' early on Sunday and has denied previous accounts of gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent access is limited.
Related: US distances itself from Gaza food delivery group amid questions over leadership and funding
Israeli forces had given orders that no one should approach the hub before 6am local time. Multiple witnesses said people had begun lining up from 5am, and dozens were said to have surged forward and started running towards it. When the crowds reached the Flag Roundabout, about 0.6 miles (1km) away, Israeli forces started shooting at the crowd, witnesses said.
'I went with my brother Shuhada to get food for our children,' Hani Baraka, 43, said. ''The area was very crowded. At the start, a quadcopter drone came and gave orders, saying it was still too early to open the gates and that they would open them at 6am. It seems people moved forward earlier than the time set by the army. The soldiers panicked and began firing at the crowd. My brother was shot in the head and killed instantly.'
'On its way back, the drone hit a hanging wire and fell to the ground,' Baraka added. 'People rushed toward it, and then the Israeli soldiers opened fire on us. Army snipers surrounded the area and started shooting at the crowd.'
The GHF has hired private security firms, but according to witnesses, the private contractors did not open fire on the crowd.
'Inside the gate, there were armed American soldiers, but they did not fire at us,' Baraka said. 'They only threw plastic stun grenades in the square to scare people and clear the area once the aid ran out.'
Reuters footage showed ambulance vehicles carrying injured people to Nasser hospital. Other clips emerged showing people running and ducking, with apparent gunfire audible in the background. One piece of footage seems to have been filmed in the Salah al-Din Road, just south of an aid distribution site in the Netzarim corridor.
Doctors at Nasser hospital reported chaotic scenes, with dozens of bodies being brought in.
'The situation in the hospital is catastrophic, due to the massacre of the hungry in Rafah city, near the aid distribution centre,' said Dr Marwan al-Hams, 53, a medic in the emergency department at Nasser hospital. 'Most injuries were shot in the upper parts of the body – the head, chest, and abdomen – as the Israeli army was reportedly firing from high altitudes using aircraft or quadcopters. A witness on the scene said that shots were also fired from a crane and from tanks.'
The hub is part of a controversial new aid system.
On 28 May, Hamas accused Israel of killing at least three Palestinians and wounding 46 near one of the GHF's distribution sites, an accusation the group denied. The Israeli military said its troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound to re-establish control as thousands of Palestinians rushed to an aid distribution site.
Israel imposed a blockade on all supplies in March, saying Hamas was seizing deliveries for its fighters, which the group denies. Earlier this month, a global hunger monitor said half a million people in the strip faced starvation.
The IPC estimated that nearly 71,000 children under the age of five were expected to be 'acutely malnourished', with 14,100 cases expected to be severe in the next 11 months.
The UN and other humanitarian organisations have rejected the new system for food distribution, saying it would not be able to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.3 million people and allowed Israel to use food as a weapon to control the population.
The latest incident took place as Hamas and Israel exchanged blame over a faltering effort to secure a ceasefire.
Hamas said on Saturday it was seeking amendments to a US-backed ceasefire proposal, but Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff rejected the group's response as 'totally unacceptable'.
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
• This article was amended on 3 June 2025. An earlier version misreported an Israel Defense Forces statement in saying, as part of a quote, that warning shots were fired near the aid distribution site 'on Saturday'. The incident in question happened on Sunday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
5 hours ago
Israel arming Gaza militias fighting Hamas, Netanyahu says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed Israel is arming militias in southern Gaza that are opposed to Hamas. Netanyahu admitted to the arrangement after Israeli politician Avigdor Lieberman, formerly the country's deputy prime minister and minister of defense, told the press about it on Thursday. "What did Lieberman leak? That on the recommendation of security officials we launched groups that oppose Hamas?" Netanyahu said during a press availability. "What is wrong with this? It's only good. it saves the lives of Israeli soldiers. But the publication of this is only good for Hamas." Netanyahu has faced internal criticism in Israel for the move, including from Lieberman, a long-time political rival. Aid distribution on indefinite pause The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation closed its aid distribution sites on Friday, without giving a date on when they would reopen, as Palestinians in Gaza remain at risk of extreme starvation and famine, the United Nations and other aid groups have warned. The GHF has previously paused aid delivery in Gaza earlier this week after several people died and were injured trying to reach the sites to obtain food, according to eyewitness reports on the ground, international aid organizations working in Gaza and the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. The majority of victims suffered gunshot wounds, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged they "carried out warning fire approximately half a kilometer from the aid distribution center, targeting a few individuals who were approaching in a way that posed a security threat," in a video statement by IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin. The GHF, a joint operation by the U.S. and Israel, is now the only major organization delivering aid in the war-torn Gaza Strip. The U.N. has said Aid distribution resumed at two sites on Thursday before being put on hold again Friday. The GHF asked people to stay away from the distribution sites for their "safety," it said in a post on social media on Friday. This comes after the Israeli government imposed an 11-week blockade on all humanitarian aid entering Gaza. The Israeli government said the blockade was put in place to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages being held in Gaza. Food distribution centers in southern Gaza have been overrun with thousands and thousands of Palestinians in search of food and medicine after the partial lifting of the Israeli blockade. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it has responded to five mass casualty incidents, four of which occurred in the last 96 hours alone in a statement Tuesday.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. will ‘end the war' against alternative medicine at the FDA, from stem cell therapy to chelation. Here's what to know
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. doubled down on his support for non-pharmaceutical health treatments during a recent podcast appearance, saying, 'We're going to end the war at the FDA against alternative medicine.' Speaking on the Ultimate Human podcast with host Gary Brecka, a 'renowned Human Biologist, biohacker, and longevity expert,' according to the website, Kennedy said he would fix the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's bias against the following: stem cell treatments, chelating drugs, vitamins and minerals, amino acids, peptides, and hyperbaric chambers. 'Our position is that the FDA has a job: Just do the science on these kinds of issues and then tell the public what they've learned from the science … but don't tell physicians what they can and cannot prescribe,' he said. And as far as the patients go, he said, 'If you want to take an experimental drug … you ought to be able to do that.' RFK Jr. added, 'We don't want to have the Wild West. We want to make sure that information is out there. But we also want to respect the intelligence of the American people' to decide what treatments will benefit them the most. He acknowledged that, with this approach, there will be 'charlatans' as well as 'people who have bad results' from various alternative treatments. 'But ultimately,' he said, 'you can't prevent that either way, and leaving the whole thing in the hands of pharma is not working for us.' Brecka called Kennedy's pronouncements 'music to my ears.' Below, what you need to know about the alternative therapies RFK Jr. is advocating for. What is it: It's a way to repair diseased or injured tissue in the body using stem cells—cells that can self-renew or become other types of tissues—typically grown in a lab, manipulated, and then be implanted into the patient. What it does: Though it's considered to be largely experimental, the FDA does permit stem cell therapies for blood and immune disorders. Leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, and multiple myeloma, for example, are also often treated this way, with bone marrow treatments, which are backed by decades of science. Other types of the treatment are still in clinical trials, while more and more wellness centers are offering the treatment for unapproved reasons, using cells drawn from the patient's body and injected back in without manipulation for everything from autism and ALS to Parkinson's and better skin, according to the New York Times. Kennedy told Brecka that he received the treatment for his voice disorder, spasmodic dysphonia, and that it helped him 'enormously,' but that he had to go to Antigua to access it. Risks: For starters, wellness clinic treatments cannot guarantee they are using actual stem cell, reported the Times. And improper injections can lead to a host of terrible consequences—clots, infections, blindness, and even the formation of tumors, which the FDA warned of in 2021. What it is: Chelation involves the use of certain chemicals to remove toxic heavy metals, such as mercury and lead, from the body; all FDA-approved chelation therapy products require a prescription and can only be used safely under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner. What it does: Some alternative medicine practitioners offer chelation therapy, through pill or injection, as a way to treat Alzheimer's, autism, diabetes, high blood pressure, or Parkinson's disease, all of which are unapproved and risky. Children's Health Defense, founded by Kennedy, has written about chelation as a way to treat autism, which compares 'autism with mercury poisoning' due to childhood vaccines that contained the preservative thimerosal (largely mercury) before it was removed in 2001. Some flu shots still contain the preservative, but, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 'There is no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines.' Risks: The FDA warns specifically about using chelation therapy for autism, and notes, 'Chelating important minerals needed by the body can lead to serious and life-threatening outcomes.' While minor risks may include fever, headache, muscle pain, and nausea or vomiting, severe reactions range from heart failure and kidney damage to respiratory failure and seizures, according to the Cleveland Clinic. What they are: Dietary supplements in almost every letter of the alphabet, from A to zinc, are over-the-counter pills or liquids that contain nutritional boosts of vitamins and minerals. What they aim to help: Vitamin and mineral supplements aim to fill in with necessary nutrients that a person is not getting through food—though nutritionists believe that healthy food is the best source of such vitamins and minerals. Studies have found supplements may help with practically any issue under the sun—energy, heart issues, cognitive function, gut health, sleep, and more. Risks: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates supplements, but doesn't approve them for safety or effectiveness before they are sold to the public. Some may cause liver damage and toxicity, while others may just be a waste of money. What it is: Amino acids are often referred to as the 'building blocks of proteins,' needed for building proteins, hormones, and neurotransmitters. are compounds that play many critical roles in your body. You need them for vital processes such as building proteins, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Amino acids are concentrated in protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, and soybeans, and foods that contain all nine essential amino acids are called complete proteins. Peptides are short proteins, and come in the form of hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and creatine and collagen. What they aim to help: Amino acid supplements may help with various issues—such as L-arginine for blood flow and inflammation; tryptophan for mood and sleep; and valine, leucine, and isoleucine to help with energy and athletic performance. Taking collagen supplements may help strengthen nails and bones, while people take creatine for boosting workouts and building muscle growth. Risks: Side effects of taking either can range from toxicity and gastrointestinal issues to effects on brain function muscle protein balance. Creatine may cause muscle cramps and digestive problems (and may not have many benefits), while tryptophan may cause dizziness, headache, or nausea. And again, as with all supplements, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates them, but doesn't approve them for safety or effectiveness before they are sold to the public. What it is: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a medical-grade, FDA-approved chamber lets you breathe pure oxygen—as opposed to everyday air, which is just 21% oxygen mixed with nitrogen. Hyperbaric oxygen is also highly pressurized, thereby allowing the lungs to take more in. Home chambers (used by folks including Lebron James, LeAnn Rimes, and Mayim Bialik), as well as those offered in many wellness clinics, do not deliver 100% oxygen. Instead, they use regular air that is 30% more pressurized than normal for what's known as 'mild hyperbarics.' What it aims to help: The FDA has been regulating HBOT chambers since 1976, and has officially cleared 13 medical conditions—such as decompression sickness, burns, radiation injury, and certain wounds—for such treatment. But it's used off-label for many other reasons, including concussions, traumatic brain injury, long COVID, age reversal, stroke recovery, fibromyalgia, and improved brain function, many of which are being looked at in ongoing clinical trials. Risks: For medical-grade chambers, risks include ear and sinus pain, middle ear injuries, temporary vision changes, and lung collapse, which is rare, according to the FDA. For mild hyperbarics, risks include potential exposure to toxic oils from some compressors, carbon dioxide buildup that brings a risk of hypoxia inside the chamber—or, according to some experts and a body of inconclusive evidence, that the treatment may simply be ineffective. This story was originally featured on
Business Upturn
6 hours ago
- Business Upturn
American Botanical Council Acquires Full Rights to Steven Foster Photo Library
Austin, Texas, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC) announces that it has obtained ownership rights to the entire collection of medicinal and aromatic plant photographs taken by the late botanist, author, and preeminent photographer Steven Foster (1957–2022). Foster was well-known and widely respected as the author or co-author of 21 books on herbs and medicinal plants. He also wrote more than 800 articles and reviews on herbal medicine, ethnobotany, sustainable sourcing, conservation, and related subjects, including more than 100 articles and reviews in ABC's peer-reviewed journal HerbalGram. His extensive photographic library includes more than 150,000 images of more than 1,700 accurately identified medicinal and aromatic plant species. This includes Foster's photos of many native American medicinal plants, as well as other plants he encountered during his travels in countries around the world, including Argentina, Armenia, Belize, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, England, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Peru, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam, and elsewhere. Foster was a member of ABC's Board of Trustees for more than 20 years and president for 10 years. He provided frequent and instrumental support for HerbalGram and served as a contributing editor, peer reviewer, and author of dozens of feature-length articles. He also contributed hundreds of medicinal plant photos from his extensive library, including at least 60 photos that appeared on the magazine's cover. His photography filled nearly every issue of HerbalGram since issue 24 in 1991. After Foster's untimely death in January 2022, ABC continued to have access to and permission to use his photos in a variety of ABC publications and communications through a special arrangement with his estate. ABC continued to feature his photos on ABC's website, in publications of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP), and in HerbalGram , ABC's monthly newsletter HerbalEGram, ABC's weekly newsletter Herbal News & Events, and other ABC publications. Now, ABC has finalized the purchase of Foster's entire digital photo library, including full rights to all of the images. Credits to Foster's photographs will now read: 'Photo by Steven Foster ©2025 ABC.' 'For more than 40 years, Steven was a close personal friend and colleague and a primary contributor to ABC's nonprofit research and educational mission, publications, and programs,' said ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal. 'Steven's intelligence, botanical knowledge, insightful and deeply informed writing, and his compelling photography were an integral part of the development and evolution of HerbalGram and ABC. 'It has been ABC's goal not only to provide authoritative, reliable, science-based information on herbs and medicinal plants, but also to show the beauty of these plants, which we have done for decades thanks in large part to Steven's incredibly beautiful photos,' Blumenthal added. 'Now, ABC has the opportunity to continue its nonprofit educational mission with Steven's photos and to help expand the herb community and general public's awareness of and appreciation for Steven's remarkable photographic legacy. ABC Art Director Matt Magruder said: 'Securing the ownership of Steven Foster's photography library is an exciting new chapter for HerbalGram and all of ABC's various programs and publications. Steven's photography has been a foundational — and visually stunning — part of the organization from early on. As a fellow photographer, I am grateful to be able to honor Steven and to continue to share his quintessential photographic legacy through ABC's stewardship moving forward.' Michael J. Balick, PhD, member of ABC's Board of Trustees and vice president for botanical science, director and senior philecology curator of the Institute of Economic Botany at the New York Botanical Garden, said: 'I was delighted to learn that ABC has acquired the Steven Foster Photo Library. Steven's 'plant's eye view' was nothing short of extraordinary, and this is reflected in all of the artistic and scientific work that he did over so many decades. He was enthusiastic and generous about sharing his talents as a photographer and providing his guidance to anyone who asked for his advice, regardless of their level of botanical sophistication. When I invited him to illustrate the third edition of the Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Springer, 2017], he provided his best work, and the photos that grace the pages of this reference book are not only useful for identification in cases of suspected poisoning, but also works of beautifully composed botanical art. We all miss Steven, who left us prematurely, and I am grateful to ABC and its donors for ensuring that this part of his legacy will endure, educating and captivating us all for many more decades.' Blumenthal noted that, at a time when people are beginning to use artificial intelligence as a source for botanical images, one primary benefit of Foster's photographs is the reliable and accurate identification of the depicted plant species. As an expert botanist, Foster properly identified the botanicals in his photos. Aside from the beauty of the photos, this benefit is a key feature of ABC's Steven Foster Photo Library. ABC featured a memorial tribute to Steven Foster in HerbalGram issue 133 and a pictorial of some of his medicinal plant photography in issue 134. A new pictorial of Foster's brilliant medicinal plant photos was just published in the current issue of HerbalGram , issue 143. In addition, ABC has named its newest award for botanical excellence after Foster, the ABC Steven Foster Excellence in Botanical Conservation and Sustainability Award, which is announced each spring at the annual ABC Celebration at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. Attachments Echinacea Purpurea Passiflora Incarnata Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
