Fatalities Near Gaza Aid Centre Raise Alarm Over Israeli Response

Health workers in Gaza report that four Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire while heading to an aid distribution centre, prompting debates about the actions of the Israel Defense Forces amid ongoing humanitarian crises.

At least four Palestinians have been reported killed by Israeli gunfire as they approached an aid distribution centre in Gaza, according to local health workers. The incident occurred before dawn near Rafah where the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an organization backed by Israel and the US, has recently set up aid distribution points. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that troops issued verbal warnings and fired warning shots as they deemed a group approaching them posed a potential threat.

This tragic event marks yet another deadly incident linked to humanitarian aid distribution in the region. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the victims were shot while waiting for food supplies to become available at the centre. One witness described a heartbreaking moment when her husband was shot in the head while awaiting aid for their family’s food needs.

The IDF has restricted movement to GHF distribution sites to the hours between 06:00 and 18:00 local time, declaring that outside these hours, the area is considered to be an active combat zone. Following a three-month blockade, Israel recently started allowing limited aid into Gaza, focusing distribution through the GHF, which opened three sites on Sunday. However, the newly established system has faced significant criticism due to ongoing violence; reports indicate that more than 60 Palestinians were killed during the initial days of GHF operations.

During this chaotic period, multiple accounts from witnesses have attributed the deaths to Israeli soldiers, although the IDF maintains that it only fired warning shots and has stated it is reviewing these incidents closely. Just the day before the latest fatalities, six Palestinians were also reported dead with several others injured as a result of Israeli gunfire, further fueling concerns about the safety of civilians in the context of aid distribution and military operations.