Beginning at approximately 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, 15 June 2025, at least seven civilians, including at least two children, were killed, and more than 50 civilians, including at least one infant – who was photographed heavily bandaged and fitted to an oxygen mask – were wounded by gunfire and artillery shelling allegedly by Israeli forces near the Al-Alam and the Al-Shakoush Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution points in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

While many sources listed a total of ten names, seven of those individuals were confirmed to have died in this incident – 24-year-old Fouad Hussan Abo Matrod, 20-year-old Mohanned Hassan Mousa, 21-year-old Khalil Hatem Badwan, 45-year-old Nour al-Din Khalil Mokhaimer, 17-year-old Mahmoud Mohammed Habib, and Ibrahim al-Khatib. A 12-year-old child, Mu’ayyad A’id Qasim A’id al-Farra, was a final casualty. The remaining civilians were reportedly killed in a separate incident (ISPT150625zg).

Initial reports from Safa News at 1:00 a.m. stated that “injuries” had occurred in Israeli artillery shelling of aid recipients west of Rafah. Facebook user Ahmed Mahmoud Ahmed, and Journalist Aseel, posted that artillery shelling had injured “displaced people” that had been waiting for aid “around the Al-Alam roundabout, west of Rafah.”

Later in the morning at approximately 10:00 a.m., sources quoted by Safa News indicated that two had been killed “and several wounded” from among those waiting for aid, reportedly shot by Israeli forces west of Rafah. These casualty figures were corroborated by the Palestine Dialogue Network @paldf, and Gaza News Elite, quoting sources at Nasser Hospital that stated the civilians were “shot” by Israeli forces while waiting for aid west of Rafah.

Al-Quds News, Asharq News, and other sources further detailed that the incident took place “in the vicinity of the Al-Alam roundabout, west of Rafah”, and resulted in the injuries of “displaced people.” Amen24 added that Israeli forces were “firing heavily” in the vicinity of the Al-Alam area and Al-Firdaws school. At around 1:30 p.m., sources including Al-Marsad News and Al-Rasheed News, reported that “dozens” of civilians had been killed and injured by gunfire from Israeli forces “near the aid point in Rafah.” The aid distribution site referred to by sources as “west of Rafah” is likely to be the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) Al-Alam roundabout aid distribution point.

Facebook user Mohamed Awad and Ather Info posted that besides the two civilians killed, “more than 50” civilians had been wounded by Israeli forces “opening fire” at the aid distribution point west of Rafah, with the latter citing “a source at Nasser hospital.” An image posted by Ather Info showed weeping boys and young men carrying the body of a victim wrapped in a shroud. The casualty figures were corroborated by Eye of Libya, which added that “live ammunition was fired directly at civilians gathered to receive relief supplies” near a US aid point in Al-Mawasi, and that the casualties had to be transferred to the Red Cross field hospital “amid panic and chaos”, all while the “gunfire continued” according to sources in the field. Facebook user Hamla Kaddour posted an image of an infant child receiving treatment for their wounds, as well as an image of the chaos and crowd amid clouds of dust at the aid distribution site.

Meanwhile, multiple eyewitnesses, local journalists and social media sources described scenes of extreme violence, reporting on what some termed a “massacre” at the GHF aid distribution point at the Al-Shakoush area in Rafah, with many quoting disturbing eyewitness reports that stated that displaced civilians awaiting humanitarian assistance were shot by Israeli forces and subsequently crushed and buried by Israeli military bulldozers.

At approximately 10:30 a.m., Facebook user Abu Ahmad Farajullah posted that “a number of vehicles and bulldozers are advancing” into the Al-Shakoush area and were reportedly opening fire on civilians waiting for aid. He added that the bulldozers were also excavating the ground in the area, and urgently requested that ambulances be sent to “the vicinity of the Al-Shakoush area and Well 22, west of Rafah”, as a “large number” of injured civilians were yet to be recovered. Adly Abu Taha posted that there were “martyrs and injuries” at Al-Shakoush resulting from Israeli forces’ gunfire.

Later, at around 11:30 a.m., Facebook users Yahya Hisham Helles and Yafa Abu Akr quoted “horrific testimonies” of people in front of the GHF aid distribution point at Al-Shakoush, who witnessed a “number of…hungry young men” waiting for aid, being killed and wounded “by [Israeli] bullets”, and that Israeli bulldozers “dragged them and buried them under the sand…without mercy or humanity.” Calling it “a scene that cannot be forgotten,” they lamented that this was the “fate of those searching for a morsel of bread in besieged Gaza.”

Mohamed Awad and Abu Riyad Al-Majd corroborated the witness reports, posting that at Al-Shakoush “the [Israeli] army executed a group of citizens”, before military vehicles “tore up their bodies…and buried them in a sand pit” in the area. Other sources described harrowing accounts of civilians being buried alive, with Facebook page Nice Nice posting “the situation is catastrophic… the [Israeli] bulldozers…buried the young men while they were still alive”, and Wadi al-Salqa terming it a massacre of “madness and brutality”, with “martyrs, wounded, and the living” being placed in “a large hole” and buried. Sources on social media later posted that the bodies had been “pulled out” from the area, presumably by rescue workers and loved ones.

Relatives and community members mourned the victims on social media.

The family of Fouad Hussam Abu Matroud posted tributes on social media. The Arab Abu Rizq Families Gathering expressed condolences to Fouad’s family, while the Barbakh family forum described him as “the young man of the family, of good character and morals.”

Mohammed Abu Rizq mourned Fouad, calling him his “brother and friend,” adding, “By God, hearts have melted, as there is no longer a way to do anything, and there is no longer a desire for anything.” Ibrahim Rashed mourned the passing of his cousin Fouad, and expressed condolences to his surviving family, saying “May God strengthen your hearts and give you patience for the loss of this virtuous young man.”

A neighbour of Fouad, Abu Jabr Muharab, posted “the eye sheds tears, the heart grieves, and we are truly saddened by your departure.” Another cousin of Fouad, Iman Hassan, said, “We only knew him for his kindness, the one with the smile, the friend to everyone, the helpful,” and expressed condolences to his aunt, Fouad’s mother, calling her “my aunt, my beloved Umm Hussein, the mother of martyrs, from whom we learn patience.” Images posted of Fouad show a handsome, clean shaven young man with a smile. One particular image posted by Iman Hasan shows Fouad with a happy little boy, possibly his younger brother or cousin.

Khalil Hatem Badwan, described by People of Olives as “a son of the Zeitoun neighbourhood,” was said to have “left in search of a livelihood” in reference to him seeking aid, and “returned to his family a martyr.” His cousin Ahmed Badwan posted faith-based tributes in mourning, calling him “a martyr for a livelihood.” Abujni Badwan posted condolences to their cousin, Khalil’s father Hatem Badwan. Images of Khalil posted by relatives show a cheerful, smiling, clean shaven young man. In one photo, he smiles in a striped shirt, and in another, a yellow gilet and Burberry shirt.

Eyad Alsabea, uncle of Mohanned Hassan Mousa, confirmed the young man’s death in a brief message: “The martyrdom of my nephew, Muhannad Hassan Musa. May God have mercy on him and accept him into the highest heavens.”

Ibrahim Derbi expressed deep sorrow at the loss of his uncle Nour al-Din Khalil Mokhaimer, writing, “Our affliction is great. To God we belong and to Him we shall return.” He posted an image of Nour – a clean shaven middle-aged man with a dignified countenance.

Khamis Abu Muhammad and Khaled Naeim Habib posted about the death of their cousin Mahmoud Mohammed Abu Habib, asking for prayers, with Khamis stating “it is truly difficult”, and Khaled adding, “Oh Allah, reward us for our affliction and replace it with something better.” An image posted of Mahmoud’s identification documents show a young boy with a date of birth on 29 December 2007, indicating that he was killed at age 17.

Mu’ayyad A’id Qasim A’id al-Farra was mourned by his family, who remembered him as a “young hero.” Though they expressed solace in the belief that he “ascended to his Lord,” the family specified that he had been “targeted in the head.” He would exist now only in their collective memory, where he “shines like a star in the sky of Khan Younis.” A photo attached to the post shows a beaming Mu’ayyad dressed in a green shirt and yellow and black jacket.

Names – bar Mohanned and Ibrahim – were matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of Fatalities in Gaza, with Fouad, Khalil, Nour and Mahmoud first appearing in list 10, and Mu’ayyad appearing in list 11.

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