Heartbreaking images: Relief turns to chaos at Gaza site amid aid shortage
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, a crowd surge at a newly opened US-backed aid center in southern Gaza disrupted food distribution, according to Arab media outlets, raising concerns over humanitarian coordination and delivery.
Thousands of Palestinians pushed through the gates of a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) site near Rafah, seeking access to limited supplies. GHF said it had distributed 8,000 food boxes so far, each designed to sustain 5.5 people for 3.5 days.
Israeli forces reportedly fired warning shots outside the compound to control the crowd, claiming that the situation was "contained" and operations would resume as scheduled.
The incident sparked criticism from other aid groups, including Jose Andrew, founder of the Emirati-backed World Central Kitchen (WCK), who accused GHF of mismanagement. “The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has left Palestinians without food. The people that created it are selfish.”
The United Nations also condemned the scenes. “These images are heartbreaking,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres.
Israel rejected UN criticism, blaming delays on logistical failures. “The UN has avoided fulfilling its role and continues spreading false information,” asserted Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, head of COGAT, the Israeli agency managing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories.
GHF stated that operations at the Rafah distribution center have since returned to normal.
The holdup comes as Gaza’s health system nears collapse. The Strip's Health Ministry warned that oxygen supplies have become critically strained, with 25 out of 34 oxygen stations destroyed during Israeli incursions into hospitals. Only nine stations remain partially operational, insufficient to meet patient needs in intensive care, neonatal units, operating rooms, and emergency wards.
The Israeli war has killed 54,084 Palestinians, including 3,924 following the ceasefire breakdown in March, and injured 123,308 others since October 2023, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
