"UN reports nearly 800 dead at Gaza aid centers and supply routes since late May"

At least 798 people have been killed while attempting to access food distribution points operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and other aid groups since the end of May, according to the UN human rights office (OHCHR).

The GHF, introduced as an alternative to the UN-led aid system in Gaza, has faced widespread criticism from rights organizations for alleged breaches of humanitarian neutrality and potential involvement in violations of international law.

“As of the seventh of July, we have documented 798 fatalities, including 615 near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites and 183 along aid convoy routes,” OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani stated in Geneva.

Israel supported the GHF after accusing Hamas of diverting aid from UN-operated channels, though the UN said no evidence supported these claims. The organization employs private security personnel to manage four food distribution areas, a significant reduction from the 400 non-militarized zones previously overseen by the UN.

The GHF dismissed the UN's figures as "inaccurate" and denied any lethal incidents at its locations, instead claiming that "the deadliest attacks on aid sites have involved UN convoys."

Since beginning operations in early May, the GHF has been linked to frequent shootings of civilians waiting for food. Palestinians seeking assistance must follow strict guidelines, travel designated routes, and cover long distances—only to face uncertainty over their safety.

In southern Gaza, at least 10 people were killed and more than 60 wounded when Israeli forces fired on a crowd in Rafah on Friday, according to Ahmad al-Farra, the head of paediatrics at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The facility received the casualties amid overwhelming strain.

Overnight and into Friday, Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza killed at least 15 Palestinians, including an attack on a school sheltering displaced families.

“The hospital was overwhelmed—extreme overcrowding, shortages of medical supplies, and too few doctors for the number of injured,” Farra said.

Temporary treatment units were set up outside Nasser Hospital as interior hallways were packed with patients. The situation worsened after Israeli military activity in the area overnight.

Medical staff reported nearby shelling and sustained gunfire near the hospital, with several patients arriving with gunshot wounds.

Displaced families sheltering near the facility described Israeli forces deploying tanks and firing tear gas into tent encampments. Witnesses reported seeing soldiers in the vicinity.