At least 20 individuals have died following a chaotic crush at a US- and Israel-supported aid distribution center operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in southern Gaza. Reports indicate that 19 were trampled, while one person succumbed to stab wounds during the incident. The GHF claimed that armed individuals affiliated with Hamas were responsible for inciting chaos at the site located in Khan Younis. However, this assertion was met with denial from Gaza's Hamas-run Government Media Office, which accused GHF of attempting to hide their culpability in the tragedy.
According to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which received the victims, the fatalities included those who perished from suffocation linked to tear gas inhalation amid the crowd surge. Graphic footage emerged from the scene, showing a witness at the hospital holding the bodies of several boys who had been crushed against temporary fences while waiting for food distributions on Wednesday. The heart-wrenching cry of the witness echoed the sentiments of many: "What fault did the children commit to die in pursuit of aid?"
Witnesses and survivors of the event recounted the disturbing chaos at the GHF site, where volunteers were allegedly closing gates as crowds surged in. One survivor, Mahmoud Fojo, described how the pressure of the gathering crowd caused many to fall and subsequently be trampled. Another man, Ahmed Abu Omra, alleged that contractors employed at the site resorted to using pepper bombs amid the crisis.
In response to these claims, GHF representatives strongly contested the assertion that any deadly measures were taken against the crowd, stating, "At no point was tear gas deployed." Instead, they claimed that limited pepper spray was used solely for crowd control and to prevent further casualties. They emphasized that the violence that ensued was triggered by armed Hamas members infiltrating the area и inciting panic.
During an unusual press briefing by GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay, the organization labeled the events as a deliberate act not just of chaos but of violence instigated by Hamas operatives. He detailed that the individual who died from stab wounds was a medic attempting to assist amid the fray.
In the broader context of the humanitarian crisis within Gaza, the GHF has faced criticism over its aid distribution methods, which involve private security to mitigate aid theft by Hamas, a stance that has led to the UN refusing to work with the foundation. The UN human rights office reported an alarming rate of casualties linked to violence around GHF distribution sites, with hundreds seeking food assistance amidst a scarcity of resources.
Thameen Al-Kheetan, a spokesperson for the UN rights office, stressed the urgent need for Israel to ensure unhindered access for humanitarian aid tailored to meet the essential needs of the civilian population. This incident has drawn renewed attention to the horrifying conditions that have forced many Palestinians to risk their lives in search of basic assistance amid ongoing violence and conflict in the region.
According to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which received the victims, the fatalities included those who perished from suffocation linked to tear gas inhalation amid the crowd surge. Graphic footage emerged from the scene, showing a witness at the hospital holding the bodies of several boys who had been crushed against temporary fences while waiting for food distributions on Wednesday. The heart-wrenching cry of the witness echoed the sentiments of many: "What fault did the children commit to die in pursuit of aid?"
Witnesses and survivors of the event recounted the disturbing chaos at the GHF site, where volunteers were allegedly closing gates as crowds surged in. One survivor, Mahmoud Fojo, described how the pressure of the gathering crowd caused many to fall and subsequently be trampled. Another man, Ahmed Abu Omra, alleged that contractors employed at the site resorted to using pepper bombs amid the crisis.
In response to these claims, GHF representatives strongly contested the assertion that any deadly measures were taken against the crowd, stating, "At no point was tear gas deployed." Instead, they claimed that limited pepper spray was used solely for crowd control and to prevent further casualties. They emphasized that the violence that ensued was triggered by armed Hamas members infiltrating the area и inciting panic.
During an unusual press briefing by GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay, the organization labeled the events as a deliberate act not just of chaos but of violence instigated by Hamas operatives. He detailed that the individual who died from stab wounds was a medic attempting to assist amid the fray.
In the broader context of the humanitarian crisis within Gaza, the GHF has faced criticism over its aid distribution methods, which involve private security to mitigate aid theft by Hamas, a stance that has led to the UN refusing to work with the foundation. The UN human rights office reported an alarming rate of casualties linked to violence around GHF distribution sites, with hundreds seeking food assistance amidst a scarcity of resources.
Thameen Al-Kheetan, a spokesperson for the UN rights office, stressed the urgent need for Israel to ensure unhindered access for humanitarian aid tailored to meet the essential needs of the civilian population. This incident has drawn renewed attention to the horrifying conditions that have forced many Palestinians to risk their lives in search of basic assistance amid ongoing violence and conflict in the region.
