A deadly wave of Israeli attacks in Gaza between 13 and 16 June has killed approximately 160 to 200 Palestinians, with many targeted near aid distribution points, as Israel intensifies military operations in the enclave alongside an escalating bombardment of Iran. The strikes, reported by local medics and eyewitnesses, have further worsened the humanitarian crisis in the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Following Israel’s launch of airstrikes on Iranian military targets on 13 June, residents in Gaza have faced relentless drone attacks and gunfire, particularly near aid sites operated by the state-run so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 15 civilians were killed on Friday near an aid distribution centre in the Netzarim Corridor – a militarised zone dividing central Gaza – contributing to a reported total of 79 fatalities across the enclave on the same day.
On 15 June, the Ministry recorded 65 further deaths, many of them near aid points in Rafah and Khan Younis. Reuters reported scores of Palestinians killed in near-daily bombardments, with at least 25 of those being people seeking aid recorded on a single day last week.
Gaza. “Aid distribution”, 2025. pic.twitter.com/wKIFPrvE0T
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) June 10, 2025
Gaza, 11 June 2025 – Israeli strikes kill dozens near an aid distribution point, amid a surge in violence that has claimed 160–200 lives since 13 June, as Israel’s conflict with Iran escalates.
Israel’s latest wave of attacks on Gaza has coincided with its military campaign launched against Iran on 13 June, which targeted nuclear and military facilities and reportedly killed over 200 Iranians. The Iranian government responded with retaliatory missile strikes that killed at least 14 people inside Israel. While global attention is focused on the Israel-Iran escalation, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have stepped up operations in Gaza, which Israel has held under assault for almost two years and under blockade since 2007.
The Palestinian Health Ministry estimates that 300 civilians have been killed near aid distribution sites in Gaza since the GHF began operations at the end of May, with thousands wounded. The tightened Israeli blockade, in place since March, has severely restricted the flow of food and medical supplies, pushing the strip to the brink of famine. The Ministry estimates a total of 55,362 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October 2023, with 70 to 80 per cent of those deaths being civilians – mostly women and children.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian authorities have detained and deported dozens of international activists participating in the Global March to Gaza, which had been planned for 13 June in an effort to break the Israeli blockade via the Rafah crossing. More than 1,500 activists – from countries including the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom – were stopped at Cairo airport and at checkpoints across the Sinai. By 12 June, 88 had been detained or deported. The convoy, intended to deliver humanitarian aid and advocate for open border access, was ultimately halted 30km from Ismailia, leaving participants stranded in Cairo.
