Palestinians in Gaza reported that Israeli soldiers and some local gunmen opened fire as they walked toward an aid distribution point managed by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

This shooting took place after several deadly drone strikes hit areas around aid centres in recent weeks. For the first time, witnesses on Monday said they saw Palestinian gunmen also firing near the GHF site in Tal al-Sultan, a neighborhood in Rafah.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, the gunfire killed six people and left 99 others injured.

GHF Denies Shooting Occurred at Its Centre

Despite the reports, GHF stated that its Tal al-Sultan aid centre was closed on Monday. The group denied any attack happened at that location.

Since May 26, GHF has been distributing aid across four centres in Gaza. However, deadly incidents have happened almost every day near at least one of these sites. Many Palestinians trying to reach the Tal al-Sultan centre have died. This location lies along a road that passes through an Israeli military zone.

Conflicting Claims and Rising Tension

Palestinians continue to blame Israeli troops for shooting at civilians trying to collect aid. But Israel has denied these accusations. Instead, the Israeli military claimed its soldiers fired warning shots and then shot at “suspects” who got too close without stopping.

Mohammed Sakout, a local aid recipient, shared his account with the BBC. “Several young men were shot and killed right behind me. I narrowly escaped death – some bullets passed just inches from my head,” he said. “At first, it was the Israeli army that was shooting at civilians. But today, we were shocked to discover the presence of gangs and militias,” he added.

Israel Seizes Activist Boat Heading to Gaza

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Israeli forces detained 12 activists, including Greta Thunberg, after stopping their yacht that was delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. Officials seized the "Selfie Yacht" at the Ashdod port.

On Tuesday, authorities brought the activists to Ben Gurion Airport for deportation. In a statement on social media, Israel’s foreign ministry said, “The passengers of the ‘Selfie Yacht’ arrived at Ben Gurion Airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries.”