Six people were killed and many more injured when Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for food aid in Gaza. This incident happened on Saturday, June 6, 2024, near a distribution center in southern Gaza.
Many Palestinians had gathered to receive food, but things took a turn when they tried to approach the center. Witnesses said the Israeli military started shooting as people walked towards the aid distribution point.
The Israeli army claimed they fired warning shots at a group of suspicious individuals who approached them in a threatening manner. However, this incident is not isolated. In the past week, dozens of Palestinians have been killed and hundreds injured by Israeli forces while trying to get food aid.
The Gaza Humanitarian Fund, which is supported by the US and Israel and manages the aid distribution centers, had to stop giving out aid at one of its locations in the city of Rafah on Saturday. They did this because too many people showed up, and they wanted to increase safety.
Despite the risks, huge crowds gather every day to get aid because of the nearly two-year-long war. The war has left many without enough food, and they have to walk through a roundabout next to an Israeli military zone to reach the distribution centers.
The Israeli Defense Forces said they told Gazans that the area is a combat zone, especially at night. However, the Gaza Humanitarian Fund claimed they couldn’t distribute aid on Saturday because of a direct threat from Hamas.
This violence has led to increased international criticism of Israel’s new aid distribution system. The United Nations has stated that this system puts Palestinians in danger and does not provide enough food and medicine to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Source: bbc