At least 27 Palestinians were reported dead and dozens injured on Tuesday when Israeli soldiers allegedly opened fire close to an aid distribution center in Rafah, said local health officials. The facility is run by the U.S.-based and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The Palestinian Authority’s Wafa news agency reported that Israeli tanks and missiles hit crowds approaching the GHF hub. This is the second day in a row with gunfire at the site. Witnesses explain the same types of shots were fired on Monday near civilians walking towards the aid centre.
The Israeli army confirmed that it issued warning shots on Monday at persons who they said were approaching a “closed military area” and threatened them, about a kilometre away from the aid location. Nonetheless, the military has not had anything to say about Tuesday’s deaths.
The GHF, which started delivering aid in Gaza a week ago, reported that it transferred 21 truckloads of food on Tuesday “safely and without incident.” Nevertheless, its operation has been faulted by the UN and humanitarian agencies for failing to meet international standards, especially regarding the use of biometric scans to prevent diversion of aid to Hamas. GHF has been criticized as being incapable of coping with the mounting needs of Gaza’s two million citizens.
The UN has dubbed Gaza “the hungriest place on Earth” and accused Israel of letting in just trickle of aid to the region. The recent shootings were condemned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Human Rights Chief Volker Türk, calling for an independent inquiry and reiterating Israel’s legal obligation to ensure unfettered humanitarian assistance.
Since the breakdown of a two-month truce in March, Israeli raids have claimed more than 3,900 lives in Gaza, taking the total number of fatalities since last October to over 54,000, said Gaza’s health ministry. Israel unleashed its attack after Hamas’ lethal 7 October attack that murdered 1,200 individuals and kidnapped 251 hostages.
