with AP
Published on •Updated
At least 31 people were killed and 175 wounded on Sunday as they were on their way to receive food in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials, a Red Cross field hospital and multiple witnesses. The witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds around 1,000 meters from an aid site run by an Israeli-backed organisation.
The Israeli military said in a brief statement it was “currently unaware of injuries caused by (Israeli military) fire within the Humanitarian Aid distribution site.”
The Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been distributing aid in Gaza, said in a statement that it delivered aid “without incident” early Sunday and has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent access is limited.
New aid system marred by chaos
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution of aid has been marred by chaos, and multiple witnesses have said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the delivery sites. Before Sunday, at least six people had been killed and more than 50 wounded according to local health officials.
UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the foundation, saying that it violates humanitarian principles because it allows Israel to control who receives aid and forces people to relocate to distribution sites, causing additional mass displacement in the enclave.
Experts have warned that the territory is at risk of famine if more aid is not brought in.
Israel and the United States say the new system is aimed at preventing Hamas from siphoning off assistance. Israel has not provided any evidence of systematic diversion, and the UN denies it has occurred.
Shooting broke out near distribution hub
The gunfire on Sunday erupted at a roundabout around a kilometre from the distribution site, in an area that is controlled by Israeli forces, witnesses said.
Ibrahim Abu Saoud, an eyewitness, said Israeli forces opened fire at people moving toward the aid distribution centre.
“There were many martyrs, including women,” the 40-year-old resident said. “We were about 300 meters (yards) away from the military.”
Abu Saoud said he saw many people with gunshot wounds, including a young man who he said had died at the scene. “We weren’t able to help him,” he said.
Mohammed Abu Teaima, 33, said he saw Israeli forces open fire and kill his cousin and another woman as they were heading to the hub. He said his cousin was shot in his chest and died at the scene. Many others were wounded, including his brother-in-law, he said.
“They opened heavy fire directly toward us,” he said as he was waiting outside the Red Cross field hospital for word on his wounded relative.
