Muwasi (Gaza Strip), May 27 (AP) — On the second day of food aid operations organized by a new US-backed agency in Gaza, chaos broke out when desperate Palestinians breached a distribution facility on Tuesday, dismantling fences in their quest for supplies. Nearby Israeli troops responded by firing warning shots, causing panic and scattering the crowds.
An AP journalist at the scene reported hearing gunfire and tank rounds, while a military helicopter was seen launching flares. According to the Israeli military, the warning shots were fired outside of the distribution center, and they claimed to have regained control of the situation. However, at least three Palestinians were reported injured, one with a leg wound.
The facility, situated near Rafah in Gaza's southernmost region, was introduced the previous day by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group selected by Israel to manage aid distribution.
The United Nations and other humanitarian agencies have expressed opposition to this new system, arguing that it doesn’t sufficiently address the needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents and permits Israel to use food distribution to exert control. They also cautioned about potential conflicts between Israeli troops and those trying to obtain aid supplies.
The residents of Gaza, facing severe food shortages after almost three months of an Israeli-imposed blockade, have become increasingly desperate for assistance.
According to eyewitnesses at the scene, a few individuals arrived at the GHF center during the morning and successfully received food parcels. As news spread, hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children trekked several miles from dense tent settlements by the Mediterranean coast of Gaza. The route to the distribution hub required them to pass near Israeli military positions.
Upon arrival, recipients queued in long lines within confined passages bordered by fences. Security measures included personal searches and facial recognition scans before one could receive a food box. As the crowds grew larger, the situation became chaotic, leading to fences being torn down and aid boxes being seized. Staff members on site reportedly had to evacuate.
The AP journalist, observing from a distance, reported sounds of gunfire and tank rounds, with visible smoke from an impacted area. Flares were deployed by an overhead helicopter.
Hosni Abu Amra, one of those awaiting aid, said, “There was no order; people rushed for supplies; there was shooting, and we had to flee without obtaining anything to mitigate our hunger.”
Ahmed Abu Taha added, “It was chaotic; there was gunfire and military aircraft above. It was sheer panic.”
While some succeeded in grabbing aid boxes containing essentials like sugar, flour, pasta, and tehini, most left empty-handed.
GHF, in a statement, noted that due to the overwhelming number of individuals seeking aid, employees followed safety protocols by retreating and allowing the crowd to disperse before resuming operations. A spokesperson for GHF, requesting anonymity, emphasized the goal of these protocols is to "prevent loss of life, which was achieved.”
GHF employs armed private security for protecting their distribution points and supply transportation. The hub is located close to Israeli military positions in the so-called Morag Corridor, a narrow section of land dividing Rafah from the remainder of Gaza.
GHF has established four distribution hubs throughout Gaza, with two in the Rafah area starting operations on Monday.
The UN and other relief organizations have refused to join GHF’s initiative, arguing it contravenes humanitarian norms. They contend it enables Israel to potentially displace the population forcibly by necessitating their relocation to distribution sites or face starvation, an act they deem unlawful.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the turmoil at the Rafah hub, commented, “There was a temporary loss of control; thankfully, order was restored.” He reiterated Israel’s plan to relocate Gaza’s population to a “sterile zone” at the territory’s southern end while military operations against Hamas continue elsewhere.
Israel has justified the new system by accusing Hamas of intercepting incoming supplies meant for Gaza, an allegation the UN contests as largely unsubstantiated.
Throughout the conflict, the UN and other aid agencies undertook extensive efforts to distribute food, medicine, and other essentials wherever necessary in Gaza. Israel maintains that GHF intends to replace this network; nonetheless, a small volume of aid has still been allowed into Gaza for UN distribution over the past week.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency responsible for aid coordination, announced on Tuesday that 400 trucks loaded predominantly with food were waiting on Gaza’s side of the main Israeli border crossing. COGAT claimed the UN had not collected these supplies, despite Israel extending time for collection and broadening UN access routes within Gaza.
Jens Laerke from the UN humanitarian office OCHA highlighted difficulties in retrieving supplies "due to insecurity along routes designated by Israeli authorities.” He criticized the volume of recent aid as “drastically insufficient.”
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