Tension erupted in Gaza as thousands of Palestinians stormed a food distribution center. The crowd pushed past fences, rushing to get aid. Israeli soldiers fired warning shots to control the situation.
This chaos happened at a distribution center in Rafah, southern Gaza. The center is run by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), which is backed by the US and Israel. People were worried about a new screening process that uses biometric data. This process aims to separate ordinary citizens from Hamas members.
GHF said they handed out around 8,000 boxes of food, which is equivalent to 462,000 meals. This is after Israel blocked aid from entering Gaza for nearly three months. The humanitarian group claimed that Hamas tried to stop people from reaching the distribution center. However, Hamas denied this, blaming the chaos on poor management by the Israeli-controlled company running the center.
Ismail al-Tawwat, a Hamas official, said the Israeli occupation led to the chaos. He stated that thousands of hungry people, under pressure from the blockade and hunger, stormed the distribution center and fought for food. The Israeli military confirmed that they fired warning shots outside the center to control the situation. A UN spokesperson expressed sadness over the incident.
The distribution centers in Rafah started operating on Tuesday, but some Palestinians were wary of the screening process. The GHF used a biometric system to identify people. At one point, the crowd was so large that the GHF team had to withdraw to allow people to safely collect aid. The situation returned to normal later.
The Gaza Humanitarian Fund’s efforts come after a nearly three-month blockade by Israel. The blockade has left many in Gaza struggling to access basic necessities like food. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges in providing aid to those in need in the region.
Source: Reuters