Tragic Incident: Multiple Fatalities Reported Near Gaza Humanitarian Center in Third Day of Ongoing Violence
In a chilling incident on Tuesday, at least 27 Palestinians were fatally shot, and 161 others were wounded as they approached a controversial food distribution center run by a U.S.-backed group in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. This violence erupted for the third straight day near a humanitarian hub operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private organization that critics claim is using aid as a political weapon.
"It was a truly shocking sight as the wounded were rushed to the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. All injuries were directly to the head and chest. Many were young people seeking aid from the American foundation," said one ambulance driver.
The exact operations of GHF remain shrouded in secrecy. However, our sources have revealed that the organization employs at least 300 American contractors, all armed heavily and provided with ammunition in abundance.
In response to the reports of violence, GHF declared that its operations continued without disruption at its four hubs in Gaza. They acknowledged the incidents but asserted that they occurred "well beyond our secure distribution site and operations area."
Israeli troops took control of an increasing portion of Gaza in recent weeks. On Tuesday morning, they reported firing warning shots near the aid hub, followed by shots at a few individuals who approached their position. The Israeli military stated that its troops were not hindering the arrival of Gazan civilians to the humanitarian aid distribution sites.
GHF, in its statement, distributed a total of over 7 million meals since operations commenced around a week ago. They assured that aid distribution was conducted safely and without incident at their site that day.
The IDF is investigating allegations of civilian casualties occurring beyond the designated safe corridor and in a closed military zone, well beyond the GHF's secure distribution site.
One of the fatalities this week was Reem Akhras, a mother of eight, who was shot while attempting to retrieve an aid parcel from a GHF hub. Her funeral was attended by our News team in Gaza.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, termed the situation in Gaza as "unconscionable" and demanded a prompt and impartial investigation into the deaths around GHF hubs. He condemned the militarized system that endangers lives and violates international standards on aid distribution, as the United Nations had repeatedly warned.
The wilful impediment of access to food and other life-sustaining relief supplies for civilians may constitute a war crime, Türk stated. He pointed out that Palestinians were faced with the grim choice of dying from starvation or risking being killed while attempting to access minimal food resources made available through Israel's militarized humanitarian assistance mechanism.
- The latest news reports suggest the killing of Reem Akhras, a mother of eight, near a GHF hub could potentially be a war crime, as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has stated.
- The chilling violence in Gaza has led to calls for a prompt and impartial investigation, with Türk condemning the militarized system that endangers lives and violates international standards on aid distribution.
- According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, at least 27 Palestinians were fatally shot and 161 others were wounded in incidents related to the controversial food distribution centers run by organizations like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, where Reem Akhras lost her life.
- The Israeli military, on the other hand, has asserted that its troops were not hindering the arrival of Gazan civilians to the humanitarian aid distribution sites, despite reports of military action near GHF hubs.
- In the face of mounting criticism, GHF has maintained that its operations continue without disruption at its hubs in Gaza, while the IDF investigates allegations of civilian casualties occurring beyond the designated safe corridor and in a closed military zone.
