Field Update (25 May – 5 June 2025): Mass Killings Amid Israeli Indiscriminate Attacks on Residential Areas and Humanitarian Aid Points in Gaza

Gaza, 5 June 2025 – As part of its ongoing monitoring and documentation of Israeli military attacks across Gaza, Al Mezan has observed a significant escalation in strikes on residential neighborhoods, shelters, and displacement camps since 25 May 2025. These intensified attacks have resulted in horrific massacres, which have killed and injured dozens of civilians – many of them children, women, and the elderly. Entire families have been wiped out, including the Nasser family (10 killed), the Al-Arbeed family (9 killed), the Abdrabbo family (17 killed), the Dardouna family (7 killed), the Al-Khodari family (7 killed).

In addition to targeting family homes, Israeli forces also attacked civilian infrastructure, including schools and shelters. One such strike targeted Al-Jerjawi School in the Al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City, killing 31 people. Another airstrike hit an unfinished building that was sheltering displaced families in the Al-Rimal neighborhood of central Gaza City, killing six civilians.

Israeli forces also targeted forcibly displaced people living in tents in Al-Mawasi area, Khan Younis. In one incident, an attack on a group of tents resulted in the killing of 13 civilians. In another attack on Street Five in the same governorate, four more Palestinians were killed when another cluster of tents was targeted.

Israeli forces have also deliberately bombed gatherings of civilians – notably those waiting for humanitarian aid, including in Al-Shuja’iyya market and at Abu Iskandar Bakery on Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City, and at a mobile phone charging point in Jabaliya – killing and injuring dozens.

In one of the most harrowing incidents, on the morning of Sunday, 1 June 2025, Israeli forces opened fire on starving civilians who had gathered in search of food at Israeli-US aid distribution points near the Al-Alam area west of Rafah City in southern Gaza, and at the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, killing 31 civilians and injuring more than 170 others.

A.Z., 38 years old, survivor of the attack and the sole provider for a large family of 20 members – most of them children – said:

“We have not received any kind of aid for a long time due to the closure of the crossings, and our food supplies have completely run out. I had no choice but to go to the American aid distribution point to bring food for the children. On Saturday, 31 May 2025, at around 01:00 p.m., I left the north of Gaza and went towards Khan Younis. Then, at approximately 02:00 a.m. on Sunday, 1 June 2025, I walked from Al-Aqsa University in Khan Younis toward Rafah City. Along the way, I saw a large number of people – including children, women, and elderly people – heading to the aid distribution point in Rafah.”

About halfway along the route, Israeli military vehicles opened fire on us. We ran and hid behind sand dunes. Many people were injured by the gunfire, which continued for about half an hour. After the shooting subsided, we resumed walking. But shortly after, we came under fire again – this time from naval vessels, military vehicles, and drones. We didn’t know where to run. We lay flat on the ground, then tried to make our way towards the beach. I saw three women in front of me get shot and collapse to the ground.

The gunfire paused briefly at around 05:30 a.m. I went to check on the wounded and saw, with my own eyes, around 25 people lying motionless on the ground, drenched in blood. Some had been shot in the head.

I didn’t receive any aid; neither did most people. I walked back to Khan Younis and, later that day, returned to northern Gaza. The children were anxiously waiting for me – starving and hoping I had brought them food.”

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, between 25 May 2025 and 2 June 2025, over 400 Palestinians were killed and 1,597 were injured – excluding those in northern Gaza, whose deaths and injuries could not be recorded due to communication difficulties. The alarming number of casualties within a matter of days points to the use of mass killing as a systematic means of advancing a genocidal policy.

Israeli military attacks on Gaza continue to be accompanied by repeated displacement orders issued across various areas of Gaza, forcing civilians to flee relentless bombardments and endure forced displacement while experiencing extreme hardship and amid widespread panic. Displaced families are often already starving, physically exhausted, and unable to travel long distances, yet are compelled to leave with nowhere safe to go. They are pushed into areas that lack even the most basic necessities for survival, and where they face harsh and degrading living conditions – exacerbated by deteriorating environmental conditions, including rising pollution levels, the spread of disease, and acute shortages of food, clean drinking water, or any usable water at all.

M.K., a married man with four children, a resident of Beit Lahiya currently displaced and living in a tent near Abu Mazen Roundabout in Tal Al-Hawa, central Gaza City, shared the following:

"This is the 16th time I’ve been displaced and had to move my tent since the beginning of the war on Gaza. We keep fleeing from one place to another in search of safety, but we never find it. We hear the sounds of bombing and explosions around the clock – sometimes they’re dangerously close, and we survive only by a miracle. The tent offers no protection from shrapnel or flying debris caused by the massive missiles dropped by the Israeli army."

My family and I are suffering acutely under these living conditions. Life in a tent is a living hell – especially the filth surrounding us, the absence of personal hygiene facilities, the unbearable heat in summer, and the bitter cold in winter. The smell of smoke from burning firewood and plastic is constant. It’s an unhealthy environment that causes illness. We’re also facing a severe shortage of clean drinking water after many organizations stopped supplying it in our area.

On top of that, we struggle with insects and rodents. We can’t sleep because of them, and we fear they may transmit diseases. We call on the world to look at us with compassion."

Israeli forces are systematically depriving Gaza’s population of access to food, medicine, and water. By maintaining the closure of Gaza’s crossings and blocking the entry of most humanitarian aid and relief supplies, Israel has caused essential food items – such as sugar, cooking oil, rice, and all types of meat – to disappear from local markets. The price of flour, a basic dietary staple for every household, has skyrocketed, reaching up to $20 per kilogram when available. These conditions have triggered a widespread hunger crisis and the appearance of cases of malnutrition, especially among children, the elderly, and those with existing health conditions.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 58 children have died from malnutrition since the beginning of the genocide. The population is also facing a severe water crisis and is experiencing particular difficulty in accessing safe drinking water. This alarming deterioration further heightens the risk of acute malnutrition and deepens the already dire crisis of hunger and thirst across Gaza.

Karam Hammouda, 36 years old, married, with five children and expecting a sixth, recounted the hunger and hardship his family is enduring.

"My eldest child is 12 years old, and the youngest is 3. My family and I are living in a tent in front of the rubble of our destroyed home in Khan Younis. I used to work inside the occupied territories, but since the war began, I have been unemployed. We used to receive food from charitable organizations and community kitchens, but those stopped operating about two months ago. Since then, we have had hardly anything to eat.

There is no more bread, no vegetables, and no money to buy food – even when it’s available in the markets, the prices are extremely high. For over a month now, my children and I haven’t eaten bread. We survive on one meal a day, usually a small amount of grains that I divide among my children, if I’m lucky enough to get it from someone offering help. On other days, we get nothing at all – just like most people now."

I can now see clear signs of extreme starvation in my children. Their bodies have become weak and very thin. Their faces are pale. They go to sleep hungry and wake up hungry. Their stomachs hurt, and I can’t do anything about it. I feel helpless, and I'm very worried about them. We don’t know how much longer we can survive – or when this suffering will end."

Israeli forces also continue to block the entry of medicines, medical supplies, and international medical teams into Gaza, significantly deepening the health crisis in an alarming way – particularly for the wounded and those with critical health conditions. Gaza is experiencing an acute shortage of essential regular medications, alongside the near-total collapse of healthcare services, particularly for patients with chronic illnesses and cancer. This situation is compounded by Israel’s ongoing and systematic targeting of Gaza's healthcare infrastructure, including hospitals and medical points, placing thousands of patients and injured civilians at severe risk and exposing them to life-threatening complications.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, intravenous chemotherapy and follow-up care for cancer patients have been completely suspended. Approximately 11,000 cancer patients are now left without access to treatment, 64% of cancer drugs are completely out of stock, and 5,000 cancer patients with urgent medical referrals abroad remain unable to leave Gaza for life-saving care.

A 47-year-old Palestinian woman, married and a mother of six, suffers from heart disease and arterial blockage. Speaking about her deteriorating health, she stated:

“We were displaced to Al-Mawasi in Khan Younis and are now living in a small, worn-out tent on the sand. I’m sick and cannot live a normal life in a tent. I suffer from the lack of available medication, especially a heart medicine called Valzan. My husband regularly tries to obtain it from the Anera clinic, as they sometimes provide it for free, but too often he comes back without it, as it is unavailable most of the time. I’m now suffering from psychological stress. I live in constant worry, and my anxiety has worsened. I can no longer tolerate this pressure. I'm afraid of being left without my medication, which could cause my health to deteriorate further. I just wish I could wake up one day and find myself back in my home, instead of in this tent, and be able to access my medicine regularly so I can survive and take care of my children.”

Meanwhile, the education sector continues to fall apart, placing immense strain on both families and students. The prolonged interruption of education – caused by catastrophic conditions such as displacement, bombardment, destruction, shortages of food, medicine, and water, as well as the complete lack of electricity, internet, and basic necessities – has made it impossible for students to continue learning, even through remote means. High school students born in 2006 have been denied the opportunity to sit their final exams for the second consecutive year due to worsening security and living conditions. On Monday, 2 June 2025, the Palestinian Ministry of Education announced that, in light of the continued killing, destruction, and siege, it remains impossible to administer exams for students currently residing in Gaza. As a result, the future of an entire generation is at risk – deprived of access to education and life opportunities.

Al Mezan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, Israel’s ongoing genocidal campaign of mass killings, which are being carried out through intensified airstrikes, indiscriminate attacks on civilians, and the continued blockade of essential supplies – particularly medicine, food, and fuel. Israel’s persistent use of starvation as a weapon of war, the resulting spread of famine and the prolonged closure of Gaza’s crossing points now places the lives of over two million Palestinians at imminent risk of death.

Al Mezan warns that the genocide, compounded by the way the new U.S.-Israeli aid distribution mechanism is being implemented and its limitation to certain zones, is causing ever more acute civilian suffering. The direct attacks, such as those in Rafah and the Netzarim corridor, together with the infliction of inhumane conditions and denial of dignity, are part of a broader strategy to render Gaza uninhabitable and force the displacement of its population. These actions reflect a flagrant disregard for international law, humanitarian principles, and binding international decisions – most notably the Provisional Measures issued by the International Court of Justice under the Genocide Convention, which require Israel to protect the lives and safety of Palestinians. Instead, Israel continues to escalate its crimes and obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid.

In light of this catastrophic situation, Al Mezan reiterates its urgent call on the international community to take immediate action to compel Israel to end its genocide, enforce an immediate ceasefire, and end the use of collective punishment and starvation as weapons of war. The international community must now act to protect civilian lives in Gaza by lifting the blockade, ensuring the sustained and unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid, and activating mechanisms of accountability to prevent impunity. This includes enforcing the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.