Hamas: Israel took advantage, massacred hungry Palestinians

Hamas condemned the Israeli Occupation for committing a "horrific massacre" after dozens of Palestinians were killed and more than 150 injured early Saturday morning while attempting to collect food aid west of Rafah.

According to the group, the victims were responding to a distribution announcement made by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) when they were fired upon in what Hamas called a deliberate and premeditated attack.

Read more: Over 20 killed as "Israeli" forces open fire at Gaza aid distribution site

In a press statement issued Saturday afternoon, Hamas described the "Israeli"-controlled aid distribution system in southern Gaza as a "trap," claiming it is designed to lure hungry civilians before targeting them with live fire.

“This massacre confirms the fascist nature of the occupation,” the group said, adding that the aid centers are being used as “bait” under the guise of humanitarian assistance.

“Thousands of citizens, already enduring a genocidal war and unprecedented starvation, responded to the occupation’s call to receive aid,” the statement read. “Instead, they were met with brutal gunfire. This was a planned crime.”

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported that at least 35 people were killed, with more than 150 wounded. The incident is the latest in a series of violent episodes surrounding the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid hubs, which operate under the IOF's oversight and have drawn criticism from both local and international organizations.

Hamas squarely blamed both "Israel" and the US for the mounting casualties, accusing Washington of backing what it described as a “bloody mechanism” that uses food aid as a tool of war.

“We hold the Zionist occupation, along with the US administration, fully responsible for the massacres,” the statement declared.

The group is calling for an urgent and binding resolution from the UN Security Council to halt the aid system, open Gaza's crossings immediately, and guarantee the flow of humanitarian relief through established UN agencies. It also urged the UN to launch an independent international investigation into what it described as systematic crimes against civilians.

Hamas concluded the statement by appealing to Arab and Islamic nations to act swiftly to pressure for an end to what it called a "brutal war of extermination," and to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to the enclave.