An Israeli- and U.S.-backed aid group halted food distribution at its three Gaza sites Wednesday following a spate of deadly shootings near the locations that local health officials say killed dozens of Palestinians in multiple shootings.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said it was in discussions with the Israeli military on better guiding foot traffic near the sites and enhancing military training procedures to promote safety.
The move came a day after Israeli forces acknowledged opening fire as people headed toward a GHF distribution hub in the now mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah, a military zone off limits to independent media.
Gaza health officials, the Red Cross and the U.N. rights office said 27 people were killed on Tuesday and witnesses blamed Israeli forces.
Israel’s military said it fired near people it described as suspects, who it said approached its forces and ignored warning shots. It says it is looking into reports of casualties.
At least 80 people have been killed since the sites opened last week, according to hospital officials, including dozens in similar shootings at roughly the same location Sunday and Monday, when the military also said it had fired warning shots.
GHF says there has been no violence in the aid sites themselves but has acknowledged the potential dangers people face when traveling to them on foot.
Thousands of Palestinians walk to the sites early each morning, desperate for food and hoping to beat the crowds and pass near Israeli forces in the predawn darkness.
GHF said it asked the Israeli military, which is sometimes referred to as the IDF, to “introduce measures that guide foot traffic in a way that minimizes confusion or escalation risks near IDF military perimeters; develop clearer IDF-issued guidance to help the population transit safely; enhance IDF force training and refine internal IDF procedures to support safety.”
Israel and the United States claim they supported the establishment of the new aid system to prevent Hamas from stealing aid and selling it to finance its militant activities. Israel has not claimed that Hamas fired in the area of the GHF sites.
The United Nations, which operates a longstanding aid system that can deliver to hundreds of locations across the territory, denies there has been any systematic diversion of aid by Hamas, saying it has mechanisms to prevent that.
The U.N. has refused to take part in the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles by allowing Israel to control who gets aid and by forcing Palestinians to travel to just three distribution hubs, two of which are in the southernmost city of Rafah.
Israel imposed a complete ban on food and other imports for 2 1/2 months before easing the restrictions in May. U.N. agencies say lingering restrictions, the breakdown of law and order inside Gaza, and widespread looting have made it difficult to deliver assistance.
Experts warned earlier this year that Gaza is at risk of famine if Israel does not lift its blockade and stop the military campaign it renewed in March, when it shattered a cease-fire with Hamas.
The war was triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led incursion that caused around 1,200 deaths and captured 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s genocidal war, in comparison, has devastated Gaza, displacing nearly all its residents and killing nearly 54,500 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza health authorities.
The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90% of the population, and left people almost completely reliant on international aid.
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