Israel Report: Storm on food distribution center in Gaza
According to Israeli media reports, numerous Palestinians have stormed a new food distribution center in the southern Gaza Strip. Employees of a US company had temporarily withdrawn in the face of the chaos, reported the Israeli news portal "ynet". US guards had fired warning shots.
27.05.2025, 21:11
27.05.2025, 21:35
SDA
Palestinian rescue workers later reported that three people had been killed and dozens more injured by Israeli army gunfire near the center in Rafah. An Israeli military spokesman said the report was being investigated.
Reports of looting of the aid center
Many people in the embattled coastal strip are in a desperate situation due to a months-long blockade of aid supplies by Israel, which was only recently eased somewhat. There were reports of looting during the storm on the distribution center.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which was founded a few months ago, announced that in the face of a large rush, the GHF team had withdrawn at certain points "to allow a small number of Gaza residents to take relief supplies in a safe manner and disperse again". The team had adhered to the security protocol in order to prevent casualties. Normal operations have now resumed.
Aid deliveries to continue despite the incident
Israel wants the GHF to be responsible for the distribution of aid supplies in future. "More trucks with relief supplies will arrive tomorrow", the statement said. The volume of aid deliveries should increase every day.
There have been delays of several hours in the delivery due to Hamas blockades. Around 8,000 food parcels have been distributed so far. Each package could feed 5.5 people for 3.5 days. In total, 462,000 meals have been delivered.
Hamas speaks of "failure"
The Hamas media office announced after the incident that the mechanism initiated by Israel to distribute aid was a "total failure". The Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry had previously called on the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip to boycott the new distribution mechanism.
With the US-backed distribution strategy, the Israeli government says it wants to prevent Hamas from stealing and reselling supplies. UN representatives say that Israel has provided no evidence of this. The four GHF distribution centers in the south and center of the Gaza Strip are to be operated by US security companies. Israel wants to circumvent aid organizations of the UN and other international aid workers.
