KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) – Israeli forces, alongside local gunmen, opened fire on a crowd attempting to reach a U.S.-backed food distribution center in the Gaza Strip early Monday. This incident resulted in 14 fatalities, according to reports from Gaza's Health Ministry and local hospitals.
Witnesses indicated that the gunmen, believed to be allied with the Israeli military, were positioned close to Israeli troops in the southern city of Rafah. They retreated into an Israeli military zone when the crowd responded by throwing stones. The Israeli military has yet to comment on the incident. Recently, Israel has acknowledged its support for local armed groups opposed to Hamas.
This shooting is part of a larger pattern of violence; a total of at least 127 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded since the introduction of a new food distribution system last month. Both Israel and the United States claim this new system aims to bypass Hamas, but it has encountered rejection from the United Nations and major humanitarian organizations.
Experts have cautioned that Israel's blockade and its ongoing military operations have placed Gaza at severe risk of famine. The region, home to roughly 2 million Palestinians, heavily relies on international aid, particularly as local food production capabilities have been devastated. Reports suggest that Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted crowds attempting to access these food centers, which are situated in military zones that are off-limits to independent media.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the private contractor managing the food distribution sites, asserts that violence has not occurred within or around the centers themselves. However, they warn potential food recipients about the dangers of deviating from the military-designated routes to the centers. Last week, the foundation temporarily halted distribution across its three sites to consult the military on enhancing safety along the routes.
GHF announced on Monday that it would close the Rafah distribution site due to "chaos" created by large crowds. Eyewitnesses like Heba Joda described a chaotic scene at a roundabout known for previous shootings, approximately one kilometer from the aid center. Joda recounted that gunfire originated from the “dangerous zone” where Israeli forces and their allies were stationed. She observed members of a local militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, trying to organize the crowds. As people surged forward, the gunmen fired into the crowd, prompting a stone-throwing response from attendees.
The Abu Shabab group, self-identified as the Popular Forces, claims to protect surrounding areas of the GHF centers in southern Gaza. However, GHF has made it clear that they do not collaborate with the Abu Shabab group, which has a history of looting U.N. aid trucks. The incident also left numerous injuries, with patients reporting gunshot wounds at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which received 14 bodies from various aid-related incidents, according to the Health Ministry.
Israel insists on replacing the U.N.-run aid system, which has been delivering essential supplies to Palestinians since the onset of the war. The Israeli government has accused Hamas of diverting aid to fund militant activities, although U.N. officials state there is no evidence to support such claims. Humanitarian organizations have criticized the GHF system as being ineffectual and assert that it is being utilized for military purposes, including Israel's agenda to relocate Gaza's population southward.
Since the beginning of a renewed military conflict following Hamas-led militants’ incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023, the violence has significantly escalated. The conflict has resulted in over 54,900 Palestinian fatalities, with many among them being women and children. As the humanitarian crisis deepens, both sides maintain their positions, with Hamas demanding a ceasefire for the release of remaining hostages while Israel continues its military operations.
The ongoing situation remains fluid, with the international community divided on responses and no resolution in sight as hostilities persist across the region.
