UN demands investigation into killings near Gaza aid site

Juliet Anine
5 Min Read

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called for an independent investigation after dozens of Palestinians were reportedly shot near an aid distribution centre in Rafah, southern Gaza.

This incident, which happened early Sunday morning, has sparked confusion and blame between Israeli forces, aid groups, and Palestinian authorities.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, backed by the United States and Israel, operates the aid centre where the shooting allegedly took place. Witnesses say people were waiting to receive food when gunfire broke out.

According to the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, 31 people were killed and 176 others injured near the American aid centre in Rafah. The Red Cross Field Hospital confirmed it received 179 casualties, with 21 pronounced dead, including women and children.

A local journalist, Mohammed Ghareeb, told the BBC that at around 4:30 a.m., Israeli tanks approached the area and opened fire on a large crowd gathered near the centre.

“The dead and wounded lay on the ground for a long time. Rescue crews could not access the area, which is under Israeli control. This forced residents to use donkey carts to transport victims to the field hospital,” Ghareeb said.

Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said its team treated many injured people, some in critical condition.

“Patients reported being shot at from all sides by Israeli drones, helicopters, boats, tanks and soldiers,” MSF said in a statement. One of their staff members lost his brother while trying to collect food aid.

The UN chief described the situation as “appalling” and said: “I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday. I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.”

In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry slammed Guterres’ statement as “a disgrace” for not mentioning Hamas and accused him of bias.

The Israel Defense Forces strongly denied responsibility, saying its soldiers “did not fire at civilians near or within the aid distribution site.” The army said it had fired warning shots at suspects approaching troops about 1km away from the GHF site before the centre opened.

An Israeli military official added: “There is no connection between the incident in question and the false allegations against the IDF.”

The GHF also rejected the claims, calling the reports “outright fabrications.”

“There were no injuries, fatalities or incidents during our operations yesterday. Period,” the foundation said.

Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, accused the media of “reckless and irresponsible reporting.”

“Drone video and first-hand accounts clearly showed that there were no injuries, no fatalities, no shooting, no chaos,” Huckabee claimed.

However, the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, criticised the way aid is being delivered in Gaza.

“It is unacceptable and dehumanising. It shows a huge disregard for civilians,” Türk told the BBC.

“People who have been desperate for food for months now have to run for it under threat of being shot.”

Meanwhile, Palestinian health officials reported that on Monday, three more people were killed near the same GHF aid centre in the Tal al-Sultan area. The Red Cross confirmed receiving 50 wounded, with two declared dead on arrival. A third body was taken to a hospital in Khan Younis.

In another attack on Monday, the Civil Defence said 14 people, including six children and three women, were killed in an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Over 20 others were feared buried under the rubble.

The Israeli military said it carried out airstrikes on various targets in Gaza over the past day, including underground tunnels and weapons stores. It did not directly comment on the Jabalia attack.

Israel’s military campaign began after a Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched a full-scale operation in Gaza.

Since then, over 54,470 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, including 4,201 since Israel resumed its offensive in March after a brief ceasefire.

The UN continues to call for the protection of civilians and the safe delivery of humanitarian aid as conditions worsen across the Gaza Strip.

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