At least three Palestinians were killed and 46 others wounded in a chaotic scene at a food distribution point in southern Gaza‘s Rafah area on Tuesday. Thousands of starving Palestinians, desperate for life-saving supplies, clambered over fences and pushed through packed crowds to reach aid brought by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-backed organization endorsed by Israel.
The incident has sparked controversy, with the Government Media Office in Gaza condemning the Israeli military’s actions, stating, “The occupation forces, positioned in or around those areas, opened live fire on starving civilians who were lured to these locations under the pretense of receiving aid.” They further described the incident as a “deliberate massacre and a full-fledged war crime, committed in cold blood against civilians weakened by over 90 days of siege-induced starvation.”
Reactions from the International Community
The United Nations has slammed the US-Israel-backed initiative, with a spokesman for the UN secretary-general describing the images and videos from the aid points set up by GHF as “heartbreaking, to say the least.” Stephane Dujarric emphasized that “humanitarian aid needs to be distributed in a way that is safe under principles of independence [and] impartiality – in the way we’ve always done it.” He added that the UN’s plan, supported by member states, aims to get aid to the desperate population.
Criticism of the Aid Initiative
Hardin Lang, vice president for policy and programs at Refugees International, criticized the US-Israel-backed aid initiative, saying it is run by military logic rather than humanitarian principles. “This is not the way in which you try to feed a population, much less a population that is on the verge of famine,” he said. Ahmed Bayram, spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, echoed this sentiment, calling on Israel and the US to cancel their initiative and let humanitarian organizations do their job.
Claims and Counter-Claims
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the chaos at the GHF site but downplayed the incident, stating, “There was some loss of control momentarily. Happily, we brought it back under control.” In contrast, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation claimed that operations have returned to normal, with approximately 8,000 food boxes distributed, feeding 5.5 people for 3.5 days, totaling around 462,000 meals.
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
The situation in Gaza remains dire, with 93% of people experiencing crisis-level food insecurity. Humanitarian groups stress the need for safe and impartial aid distribution, emphasizing that aid must reach those in need without risking lives. The incident at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s aid site highlights the complexities and challenges of delivering aid in the region.