Gunfire was reported Tuesday at a makeshift aid distribution point in southern Gaza, where thousands of starving Palestinians surged past fences and barriers to seize food after nearly three months of humanitarian blockade.
According to reporters at the scene, Israeli tank fire and small arms shots rang out as crowds overwhelmed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid site near Rafah. The GHF, a US-backed group tasked with food distribution, said its teams were forced to retreat after losing control of the site amid an "unprecedented rush of desperate civilians".
No casualties have been confirmed, though Gaza’s Government Media Office accused Israeli forces of opening fire and injuring civilians. Videos circulating on social media show chaotic scenes of thousands rushing aid parcels as gunfire echoes in the background.
The aid centre represents a new phase in the US-Israeli plan to coordinate food distribution in "buffer zones" away from densely populated areas. However, the plan has been sharply criticised by international humanitarian agencies, including the United Nations, which have been barred from operating freely in Gaza.
Israel’s siege of Gaza has left over 2.2 million residents facing severe food insecurity, with UN agencies warning of imminent famine. Since the war began, Israeli bombardments have killed more than 54,000 Palestinians and displaced hundreds of thousands more.