The image shows families mourning the death after Israeli strikes killed atleast 65 people in Gaza on the second day of Eid-Al-Adha [Hatem Khaled/Reuters]
At least 65 Palestinians are reported dead after Israeli air strikes and gunfire rained down on a residential colony in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza Strip on the second day of Eid al-Adha, Saturday, June 7. More than 100 have been injured.
According to Anadolu Agency, the previous day, at least 15 Palestinians, including six children, were killed and over 50 others injured. Rescue teams say the death toll can rise as hundreds are still trapped under the rubble.
Twelve people, including four from one family, were killed and over 40 injured after Israeli shelling hit tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in western Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.
In the Al-Saftawi neighbourhood in northern Gaza, the Israeli army targeted a group of civilians, killing two. Seven more were killed while seeking shelter in a house in Gaza City.
In northern Gaza, eight Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on a group of civilians in the Jabalia al-Nazla area, according to medical sources cited by Anadolu Agency. Another Israeli strike in Jabalia’s al-Faluja area claimed two more lives.
The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food.
Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel’s military has said it fired warning shots or, in some instances, near individuals approaching its forces.
Witnesses said Sunday’s shooting occurred at around 6 am, when they were told the site would open. Many had headed toward it early to try and get desperately needed food before the crowds.
Adham Dahman, 30, who was at Nasser Hospital with a bandage on his chin, said a tank had fired toward them. “We didn’t know how to escape,” he said. “This is trap for us, not aid.”
Zahed Ben Hassan, another witness, said someone next to him was shot in the head. He said that he and others pulled the body from the scene and managed to flee to the hospital.
“They said it was a safe area from 6 am until 6 pm … So why did they start shooting at us?” he said. “There was light out, and they have their cameras and can clearly see us.”
In Khan Younis’ al-Amal neighbourhood, a drone strike killed one person and injured another.
Since May 27, at least 115 Palestinians have been killed and over 580 wounded while attempting to access humanitarian aid under a controversial new system, with nine people still missing, according to a tally by Anadolu based on Palestinian sources.
The hubs are set up inside Israeli military zones, where independent media have no access, and are run by GHF, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups.
Israel and the United States accuse the militant Hamas group of stealing aid, while the UN denies there is any systematic diversion. The UN says the new system is unable to meet mounting needs and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon by determining who can receive it and forcing people to relocate to where the aid sites are positioned.
The UN system has meanwhile struggled to deliver aid, even after Israel eased its complete blockade of Gaza last month. UN officials say their efforts are hindered by Israeli military restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting.
Experts warned earlier this year that Gaza was at critical risk of famine if Israel did not lift its blockade and halt its military campaign, which Israeli officials have said will continue until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Talks mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar have been deadlocked for months.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a massive attack on southern Israel killing atleast 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage. They are still holding 55 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, with women and children making up most of the dead, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Israel claims it has killed over 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.
The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population. The territory’s roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all of Gaza’s food production capabilities have been destroyed.
This post was last modified on June 8, 2025 4:29 pm