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Israeli soldiers killed more than two dozen Palestinians near an aid center in Gaza on Tuesday, the local health ministry said, the latest in a string of deadly incidents since a controversial US-backed aid scheme was introduced in the enclave last week.
Gaza’s health ministry reported that 27 people were killed and dozens more injured in the shooting, which occurred as they waited for aid in the Rafah governorate in southern Gaza. The International Committee of the Red Cross stated that its field hospital in Rafah had received 184 casualties, with 19 declared dead on arrival and eight more succumbing to their injuries shortly thereafter.
The Israeli military stated that its soldiers opened fire after observing several individuals moving towards them and deviating from the designated access routes. They mentioned that they are investigating the incident.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a previously unknown US-backed group chosen to oversee the new aid distribution hubs in Gaza, acknowledged the reports of casualties but claimed that they occurred in an area well beyond their secure distribution site and operations area.
This shooting incident is the latest in a series of killings near GHF-run sites in Gaza since it replaced the UN as the primary conduit for aid deliveries to the enclave last week. On Sunday, officials in Gaza reported 31 people killed after the Israeli military fired towards hungry crowds heading to the new aid centers, with three more killed in similar circumstances on Monday.
The repeated incidents have garnered international condemnation, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the UN’s human rights commissioner, Volker Türk, calling for investigations into the killings. The UN warned that Gaza’s entire population is at risk of famine.
“Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza are unconscionable,” Türk stated, adding that impeding food and other aid to civilians may constitute a war crime.
Israel has reiterated its compliance with international law in Gaza.
Under the new aid distribution model, Gazans must travel long distances on foot to receive boxed meals from distribution hubs secured by US private security contractors and the Israeli military. Israel had blocked all deliveries of food, fuel, medicines, and aid to the enclave for more than two months before allowing a minimal resumption of UN-led deliveries and introducing the new GHF-led system.
The new system is designed to prevent aid from falling into the hands of Hamas, whose attack on southern Israel in October 2023 triggered the war. However, the UN and other aid groups have not observed any large-scale diversion of aid and have accused Israel of exploiting the desperation of starving Palestinians to displace them to southern Gaza. GHF has established four new hubs, but only one has been operational for the past five days.
The situation in Gaza remains dire, with ongoing violence and humanitarian challenges. It is crucial for the international community to step in and provide support to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza.
