Mourners filled Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on Monday, grieving the loss of Hossam Wafi, a father of six, who was killed while attempting to secure food for his family. Wafi, 39, was among 31 people who died after Israeli fire struck a group of civilians on Sunday while they tried to reach a food distribution site in the city of Rafah.
According to the Palestinian Civil Defence Agency, Wafi had traveled with his brother and nephew to the newly established aid center in hopes of buying flour. His mother, Nahla Wafi, sobbed uncontrollably as she recounted how her son went to get food for his daughters but returned dead.
The attack occurred amid chaotic scenes at the Rafah distribution site, where thousands of people had gathered before dawn to collect supplies. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), 179 wounded individuals were brought to its field hospital, including 21 who were pronounced dead on arrival.
Many of the wounded reported being hit by gunfire or shrapnel while attempting to access food. The Israeli military, however, claimed that warning shots were fired at individuals who approached the distribution site from a distance of one kilometer. Despite the denial of any attack by both the Israeli military and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), witnesses and survivors of the incident insist the casualties were a result of Israeli fire.
The deaths in Rafah are part of a larger pattern of deadly encounters surrounding aid distribution points in Gaza, which have drawn growing international concern. The United Nations has warned that the sites, often militarized and surrounded by security forces, may violate humanitarian principles and appear to be designed to serve Israeli military objectives.
Ali Wafi, the uncle of the deceased, expressed his anger at the loss of his nephew, stating, “They go there and get bombed… all for a piece of bread.” As Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens, locals continue to risk their lives for survival, hoping to reach aid amid ongoing military strikes.
