According to witnesses and hospital officials, Israeli troops opened fire on crowds of Palestinians seeking food at distribution centers in southern Gaza, resulting in at least 32 deaths.
The two separate incidents occurred in close proximity to distribution hubs managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) commenced operations in late May with support from the United States and Israel. Both governments aim to replace the existing UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, alleging that Hamas militants are diverting supplies. The UN has refuted this claim.
While the GHF claims to have distributed millions of meals to Palestinians facing hunger, local health officials and eyewitnesses report that Israeli army fire has killed hundreds as people attempt to reach these distribution hubs.
The Israeli army, maintaining security from a distance rather than being directly present at the sites, states that warning shots are only fired if crowds approach their forces too closely.
The GHF, employing private armed guards, asserts that no fatal shootings have occurred at its locations. However, they acknowledge that 20 people died at one location this week, primarily due to a stampede. The group has accused Hamas agitators of instigating panic, but has not provided evidence to support the accusation.
Neither the Israeli army nor the GHF immediately responded to requests for comment on Saturday’s violence.
The majority of fatalities occurred in the Teina area, approximately two miles from a GHF aid distribution center east of Khan Younis, as Palestinians gathered in large numbers.
Mahmoud Mokeimar recounted walking with a large group, mainly young men, towards the food hub when troops fired warning shots as the crowd advanced. Subsequently, he stated, the troops opened fire directly into the crowd.
“It was a massacre… the occupation opened fire at us indiscriminately,” he said, adding that he managed to escape but witnessed at least three lifeless bodies on the ground and numerous wounded individuals.
Akram Aker reported that troops used machine guns mounted on tanks and drones.
“They encircled us and started firing directly at us,” he said.
Monzer Fesifes, a Palestinian-Jordanian, confirmed that his 19-year-old son, Hisham, was among those killed in the Teina area.
“He went to bring food from the failed US, Zionist aid to feed us,” the father of six said, pleading for the Jordanian government to assist in evacuating them from the Palestinian enclave.
The Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported receiving 25 bodies and treating dozens of injured individuals.
Seven additional people, including one woman, were killed in the Shakoush area, located a few hundred yards north of another GHF hub in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, according to the hospital. The health ministry corroborated this death toll.
Dr. Mohamed Saker, head of Nasser Hospital’s nursing department, stated that the facility received 70 wounded individuals. He told the that most casualties sustained gunshot wounds to the head and chest, and some required admission to the already overburdened intensive care unit.
“The situation is difficult and tragic,” he said, adding that the hospital is experiencing a shortage of medical supplies required to treat the continuous influx of casualties.
Gaza’s population of over two million Palestinians is enduring a severe humanitarian crisis, and the territory is at risk of famine, according to food security experts.
Distribution efforts at GHF sites have frequently been disorganized. According to witnesses and GHF-released videos, boxes of food are left stacked on the ground within the centers, and then crowds rush in to grab whatever they can once the boxes are opened.
Recently obtained videos by the from an American contractor working with the GHF showed contractors deploying tear gas and stun grenades to control crowds behind metal fences or to disperse them. Gunfire can also be heard in the background.
Hamas initiated the ongoing 21-month war in Gaza with its October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of 250 hostages.
The subsequent Israeli military offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 58,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, the displacement of nearly the entire population of two million Gazans, and widespread destruction.
Israel and Hamas have engaged in ceasefire talks in Qatar in recent weeks, but international mediators report that no breakthroughs have been achieved.
