At least 12 Palestinians killed while seeking aid in Gaza, medics report

A recent tragic event in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 12 Palestinians as they awaited assistance, exacerbating tensions in the region.

At least 12 Palestinians have tragically lost their lives while waiting for humanitarian aid in central Gaza, according to reports from rescue workers and medics on the ground. The incident occurred on Thursday near an aid distribution site managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is supported by both the United States and Israel. While the GHF denied any wrongdoing or incidents occurring near their site, the Israeli military contended that they had fired warning shots at individuals who were allegedly approaching their forces in a threatening manner, claiming they were unaware of any resulting injuries.

This harrowing incident is part of a larger pattern of violence around aid distribution sites in Gaza, which has seen hundreds of casualties since GHF assumed control of aid distribution in late May. This change was aimed at circumventing the United Nations as the primary aid supplier in the region.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, the fatalities raised significant alarm over the humanitarian situation as Palestinians increasingly flock to such sites seeking assistance. Civil defense officials noted that 15 people were killed and around 60 were injured in this latest flare-up of violence, signaling a concerning trend of renewed hostilities concentrated near aid distributions rather than military strikes on Hamas positions.

Witnesses have recounted harrowing experiences, with one individual, Bassam Abu Shaar, describing how thousands of people had gathered at the GHF-backed site when the gunfire erupted at approximately 1 a.m. local time, trapping individuals within the dense crowd. The coordinator for GHF dismissed these claims as misinformation, asserting there were no incidents near their distribution point.

The ongoing dispute around aid distribution continues to be contentious, as Hamas has called for the UN and humanitarian agencies to regain control as these factions refuse to engage with the GHF's new framework, citing breaches of the principles of neutrality and independence. In response to these tensions, the U.S. and Israel maintain that the GHF’s system will reduce the likelihood of aid diversion to Hamas.

As the situation develops, civil defense teams have also reported recovering numerous bodies from other areas of Gaza following Israeli shelling, highlighting the significant humanitarian crisis tied to the ongoing conflict. The Israeli military has intensified operations in the region in response to a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel earlier in October, an escalation that has resulted in the death toll in Gaza soaring to staggering numbers, with over 55,637 reported casualties since the outbreak of violence.