Nearly 800 killed in Gaza while waiting for aid since May 27 (UN)

 

Nearly 800 people have been killed in Gaza while waiting for aid since May 27, the majority of them near centers run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the United Nations announced Friday.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid parcels on May 26, more than two months after Israel imposed a blanket ban on aid deliveries despite warnings of the risk of famine.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said during a press conference that since the organization began operating until July 7, "we have documented 798 deaths, including 615 in the vicinity of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation centers."

She told reporters in Geneva that another 183 people were "most likely killed along the routes of aid convoys" operated by the UN and other aid organizations.

"This means that approximately 800 people have been killed while trying to obtain aid," she continued, explaining that "the majority of the casualties were from bullets."

The operations of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which have effectively marginalized the extensive UN network in Gaza, have been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces shooting at Palestinians waiting to receive food aid parcels.

However, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which confirmed on Thursday that it has so far distributed "more than 69 million meals," denied that fatal shootings had occurred in the immediate vicinity of the aid distribution points it operates.

The Israeli military has repeatedly held Hamas responsible for shooting civilians near aid centers.

However, on Tuesday, it said it had instructed its forces in the field "after learning lessons" from the deadly incidents near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation centers.

The Israeli military added that it "allows the American civilian organization (GHF) to distribute aid to the population of Gaza independently and operates near the new distribution areas to ensure distribution alongside the continued operational activities of the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip."

It continued, "As part of this effort, IDF forces have recently worked to reorganize the area by installing fences, placing signs, opening additional roads, and other measures."

The army stated in its statement that "following incidents in which harm was reported to civilians arriving at distribution facilities, in-depth examinations were conducted," adding that the incidents are "under review by relevant military authorities."

Shamdasani emphasized that the UN Human Rights Office has repeatedly expressed "serious concerns about respect for the principles of international humanitarian law" in the war in Gaza, which erupted following a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

She added, "People are lining up to receive basic supplies like food and medicine, and they are attacked... and they are given a choice between being shot and getting food. This is unacceptable."