Deadly Chaos At Gaza Aid Site Highlights Deepening Humanitarian Crisis

 

A deadly outbreak of chaos erupted at an aid distribution site in Gaza on Tuesday, as thousands of Palestinians rushed to obtain food supplies amid Israel’s ongoing blockade and deepening humanitarian crisis. The site, run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), became overwhelmed, prompting Israeli troops to fire warning shots and causing US contractors to briefly withdraw from the area.

The aid effort was disrupted in Tel al-Sultan when crowds breached fencing and barriers meant to regulate the distribution process. Palestinian health officials later confirmed that one person was killed and 48 others injured in the ensuing panic. The deceased reportedly died from severe injuries after being taken to the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah.

Eyewitnesses described the desperate scene. “They want order, but there will be no order because these are desperate people who want to eat and drink,” said Wafiq Qdeih, who had come to collect food. “The Israeli army was shooting in the air, and the Americans and their workers retreated, making it impossible to distribute aid.”

Locals who reached the site after walking long distances described hours-long waits and confusion. “I am tired and exhausted,” said Abu Ramzi. “There are too many people here; security will not be able to control them all.”

GHF acknowledged the chaos, stating its team pulled back temporarily to allow some distribution to proceed safely and avoid casualties. A security source confirmed that American contractors did not fire any shots and that aid operations would resume the next day.

The Israel Defense Forces stated their troops only fired warning shots outside the compound and did not engage in aerial fire, asserting that the situation was later brought under control.

Critics, however, argue the current aid delivery strategy is flawed. “It’s a big failure that we warned against,” said Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network. “If Israel believes that through this blockade and emboldening starvation… this distribution method would work, they are mistaken.”

Since its launch, GHF claims to have distributed 8,000 food boxes—equivalent to 462,000 meals—and plans to reach 1.2 million people by week’s end. However, images released by the group show sparsely populated distribution zones and unused supplies. GHF is preparing three more sites, all located in central and southern Gaza, with none in the north—a decision condemned by aid experts who argue it supports efforts to depopulate northern Gaza.

International observers, including UN officials, have heavily criticized the distribution mechanism. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs previously described the GHF system as “practically unfeasible, incompatible with humanitarian principles and [a source of] serious insecurity risks.”

Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, condemned the scene as “chaotic, undignified and unsafe.” Jens Laerke of the UN’s aid coordination office echoed the sentiment, stating the focus should be on reopening crossings and easing access to aid already waiting outside Gaza.

Despite international criticism, Israel is reportedly moving forward with plans to occupy 75% of Gaza within two months, which would effectively force more than two million Palestinians into a small southern zone of the already devastated enclave. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously stated the goal of displacing Gaza’s entire population to the south.

Meanwhile, COGAT, the Israeli authority overseeing aid to Gaza, said that both the new and existing aid mechanisms are currently operational, and 95 aid trucks entered the enclave on Tuesday.

Still, organizations like UNRWA insist that meaningful aid distribution hinges on a full reopening of Gaza’s crossings and immediate facilitation of aid that remains stalled just outside the border. The events at Tel al-Sultan stand as a grim reminder of the mounting desperation and the failures of current humanitarian responses.