At least 30 people were killed and scores wounded on Sunday while attempting to receive food aid in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials and numerous eyewitnesses.
Witnesses reported that Israeli forces opened fire on crowds approximately 1,000 yards from an aid distribution site operated by an Israeli-backed foundation.
The Israeli army issued a brief statement stating that it was “currently unaware of injuries caused by (Israeli military) fire within the Humanitarian Aid distribution site. The matter is still under review”.
The foundation released a statement claiming it delivered aid “without incident” early on Sunday and refuted previous reports of chaos and gunfire in the vicinity of its sites, which are located in Israeli military zones with restricted independent access.
Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza health ministry’s records department, reported at least 30 fatalities, including two women.
Earlier in the day, officials at a nearby Red Cross field hospital reported at least 21 deaths and 175 injuries, without specifying who was responsible for the gunfire.
An reporter observed dozens of wounded individuals receiving treatment at the hospital.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s aid distribution has been plagued by disarray, with multiple witnesses alleging that Israeli troops fired upon crowds near the delivery locations.
Prior to Sunday’s incident, local health officials reported at least six deaths and over 50 injuries at these sites.
The foundation maintains that private security contractors guarding its sites have not fired on the crowds, while the Israeli military has acknowledged firing warning shots in past instances.
The foundation reiterated in their statement that 16 truckloads of aid were distributed early Sunday “without incident,” and dismissed what it characterized as “false reporting about deaths, mass injuries and chaos”.
