STORY: Casualties were brought to Nasser hospital in Khan Younis on Tuesday (June 3) after at least 24 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip, local health authorities said.

The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of individuals who had left designated access routes near the distribution centre in Rafah.

It added it was still investigating what had happened.

The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid waste to much of the enclave.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza.

The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first distribution sites last week in an effort to alleviate widespread hunger amongst Gaza's war-battered population, most of whom have had to abandon their homes to flee fighting.

The Foundation's aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations and established charities which say it does not follow humanitarian principles.

The private group, which is endorsed by Israel, said it distributed 21 truckloads of food early Tuesday and that the aid operation was "conducted safely and without incident within the site".

However, there have been reports of repeated killings near Rafah as crowds gather to get desperately needed supplies.

On Sunday (June 1), Palestinian and international officials reported that at least 31 people were killed and dozens more injured. On Monday (June 2), three more Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire.

The Israeli military has denied targeting civilians gathering for aid and called reports of deaths during Sunday’s distribution "fabrications" by Hamas.

On Tuesday it said IDF forces had identified "a number of suspects" moving towards them while deviating from the access routes. "The forces fired evasive shots, and after they did not move away, additional shots were fired near the individual suspects who were advancing towards the forces," it said.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday he was “appalled” by reports of Palestinians killed and wounded while seeking aid and called for an independent investigation.

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 assault in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

In the subsequent fighting, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, local health authorities say.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: CASUALTIES BROUGHT TO NASSER HOSPITAL IN GAZA'S KHAN YOUNIS, AFTER GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY SAID 24 PALESTINIANS KILLED WHILE WAITING FOR AID DISTRIBUTION IN RAFAH EARLY TUESDAY / COMMENTS FROM AMBULANCE OFFICER AND RELATIVES OF PEOPLE KILLED

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES

RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT.

SHOWS: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (JUNE 3, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. AMBULANCE DRIVING

2. WOUNDED MAN BEING MOVED ON A STRETCHER FROM AMBULANCE TO NASSER HOSPITAL

3. VARIOUS OF WOUNDED PEOPLE AT NASSER HOSPITAL

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AMBULANCE OFFICER, SANGER AL-REYATY, SAYING:

“We received a call from several citizens from the fish fresh area (area in Rafah), and ambulance vehicles and medical crews headed to the area. We were surprised by the number of injuries, a horrific number - as for the martyrs, (there are) about 20 martyrs. Of course, all injuries were directly to the head and chest, most of them children, children who went to receive aid from the American foundation (U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation).”

5. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CARRYING BODIES IN BODY BAGS

6. BODIES IN BODY BAGS

7. PEOPLE MOURNING NEXT TO BODIES

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN WHOSE RELATIVES WERE KILLED, UMM (MOTHER OF) OSAMA SEYAM, SAYING:

“We ran like people who went to get a scrap of food - we are holding up, thank God, we are full, but the children who are always hungry. I mean, what should we do? We went to get them food.”

9. PEOPLE MOVING BODIES IN BODY BAGS AND PLACING THEM NEXT TO OTHERS ON THE GROUND

10. VARIOUS OF WOMEN MOURNING

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN WHOSE RELATIVES WERE KILLED, WEDAD ZOU'ROB, SAYING:

“Hunger killed us, hunger slaughtered us, oh world, have mercy on us, oh world, have mercy on us, for the sake of elderly women, for the sake of the widows, for the sake of the children, we are all hungry, we are all dying of hunger, dying of hunger, the children cry, the women cry, the widows cry, no one has mercy on anyone. We are all hungry. We are all hungry, dying of hunger - we walk like skeletons on the ground. Skeletons on the ground. Our children died of hunger.”

12. YOUNG WOMAN EMBRACED BY ANOTHER WOMAN

13. WOMEN GATHERING

14. MORGUE SIGNS AT NASSER HOSPITAL

15. PALESTINIANS GATHERING OUTSIDE NASSER HOSPITAL