At around 10:50 a.m. on Friday, June 6, 2025 – the first day of Eid al-Adha – the Israeli army allegedly opened fire on people seeking aid near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)’s distribution center near the Al-Alam roundabout in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Rafah City in the southern Gaza Strip. At least eight identified civilians were reportedly killed, including a child, and at least 61 others were injured – including a young girl.

The names of the victims were released throughout the day by Safa PS. The initial death toll of four rose to eight by early afternoon, as reported by the Government Media Office in Gaza. The same occurred with the number of injured: while early reports spoke of “dozens wounded”, the figure was later reported as 61.

The incident was widely reported (Al-Arabiya TV, Gaza Now), while friends and family resorted to social media to mourn the loss of their loved ones.

The loss of 21-year-old Ibrahim Muhammad Ibrahim Abu Samhan left a mark on the hearts of his family and loved ones. Among those mourning him were Ayman Abu Samhan and Ahmed Al-Shami, Ibrahim’s cousins, who prayed to God to grant him a spacious place in paradise among the friends, martyrs and righteous.

The Facebook profile Abu Jamea Family – Homeland and Diaspora shared an image of the young Ibrahim, 21 years old, smiling by the sea while wearing a black hat and an orange T-shirt. In a caption accompanying the photo, the page expressed faith in Allah’s will and destiny, asking God to accept him as a martyr in the highest heavens and to grant his family and relatives patience and solace.

20-year-old Hamza Ayad Hamza al-Jamal was mourned by many people, first of all, his brother Aseel Ayad, who wrote that it was too early for his loved one to depart and that he had not had enough time with him. He lamented the pain of the loss, and asked God to give to his family patience to endure his passing.

Aseel shared a photo of Hamza, showing a young man with a beard and glasses, posing seriously while wearing a grey shirt and black trousers.

Abdulrahman Al-Jamal quoted a Quranic verse to bid farewell to Hamza: “So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained his desire, and what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion”.

Mostafa Akram also mourned Hamza, describing him as a brother, love, and companion. He ended his message with a farewell, asking his cousin to convey greetings to their loved ones.

The 26-year-old Muhammad Ibrahim Mahmoud al-Munirawi was also among the victims of the deadly attack. According to Amal Farag, Muhammad’s father was killed during the war and Muhammad was his mother’s only son.

In the picture shared online, Muhammad can be seen as a young man, smiling, with a short beard. In another photo, he appeared wearing a burgundy turban.

Mahmoud Al-Munirawi and Raed Al-Nairab were among the family members who shared a message expressing sorrow at the loss of Muhammad. Raed wrote: “May God have mercy on you, uncle, you broke my heart. Say hello to your father, your cousin, and Mahmoud”. He concluded the message offering condolences to Umm Muhammad and invoked the phrase “to God we belong and to Him we shall return”.

The 43-year-old Sameer Awda Hassan al-Nahhal, also called Abu Muhammad, was mourned by the entire Al-Nahhal family, in particular by his cousin, Muhammed al-Nahhal. Sameer had a moustache and very short hair. In a photo circulating online, he appeared smiling, dressed in a grey sweatshirt and a beige vest.

Hani Al-Shawa mourned the loss of his cousin, 31-year-old Ismail Abdullah Mustafa al-Shaer, by sharing a Quranic verse in his memory: “And never think that those who were killed in the way of Allah are dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision”. He also shared a photo of Ismail, showing a man with thick hair, wearing a purple striped shirt, posing for the camera.

The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), Rafah Governorate, through its Labor Unity Bloc, announced the death of its member, 36-year-old Muhammad Fawzi Dakhl Allah Al-Arja from the al-Janina neighbourhood of Rafah. The group’s statement held the Israeli ‘occupation’ forces fully responsible for the incident, referring to it as part of a broader policy of starvation and collective punishment against civilians in Gaza. It called for international accountability and urged workers worldwide to denounce what it described as a war of starvation and genocide against the people of Gaza.

A shared photo showed a man with a short beard and closely cropped hair, wearing a white T-shirt.

Among the victims mentioned by the sources was also 47-year-old Raed Ibrahim Mahmoud Al-Najjar, known as Abu Muhammad.

Naji Al-Najari shared a Quranic verse in his memory: “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient” (Al-Baqarah 2:155). The Al-Najjar family announced his death, describing him as a kind-hearted man. The post included a photo of him, showing a middle-aged man with a round, full face and closely cropped hair, posing seriously while wearing a traditional blue thobe.

Muhammad Al-Najjar also expressed his grief on social media, writing that he was exhausted by repeated loss and mourning. He said that in just a few days the family had bid farewell to their cousins Raed Ibrahim Aa-Najjar, Ibrahim Mahmoud al-Najjar and Alia Ali al-Najjar. He concluded his message by praying for divine justice and patience for his family.

The death of the 17-year-old child Zaki Iyad Al-Beleshee was announced by his uncle Ismail Al-Baleshee. Zaki had blonde hair, and was pictured with a serious expression, wearing a light blue polo shirt with dark edges.

Posting to Facebook, Anan Abu Mohsen also mourned Zaki’s death, expressing sadness at his death and praying for God’s mercy and acceptance.

Nofal al-Akhras expressed condolences to Zaki’s family – the Al-Beleshees – explicitly sharing condolences with his friends Ayad al-Beleshee, Muhammad al-Beleshee and Abu Ahmed.

Journalist Amr Tabash spoke with Safaa al-Farmawi, mother of seven including 13-year-old Jana al-Farmawi, who was injured while trying to get aid. In the video, Jana stands with Safaa while Safaa points out the shrapnel wounds all over the young girl’s body. Safaa also describes the incident in which Jana’s 15-year-old sister Ghazal was killed – five days later – on June 11. Airwars has researched this incident as well (ISPT110625w).

Where possible, the names of the victims have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Since October 26, 2023, the MoH has released a number of lists, along with an additional list of medical professionals, which was released on September 17, 2024. Airwars is matching individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, names are matched to the tenth “Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza”, which was released on July 16, 2025.

Pictures showing the aftermath of the incident were shared widely across social media. They showed a large crowd gathered to receive aid, fleeing from gunfire with empty plastic bags in their hands.

Where sources identified a belligerent, all sources attributed the strike to Israeli forces.