Chaos and confusion erupted at a newly established aid center in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, marking the first full day of humanitarian assistance distribution through a controversial initiative devised by Israeli authorities.
Since March, a blockade imposed by Israel has halted the entry of food and fuel into Gaza, leaving many Palestinians in dire need of supplies. Aid organizations have suspended operations due to dwindling food stockpiles, with relief officials warning that widespread hunger has become a daily reality.
The desperation was palpable at the distribution site, where verified footage showed hundreds of people gathering in chaotic scenes. Large crowds, including women and children, rushed toward the center where aid boxes had been stacked, leading to increased disorder as more individuals climbed over sand berms surrounding the area.
In one video, a crowd is seen fleeing the site as gunfire is heard in the distance, resulting in panic and the trampling of metal fencing around the perimeter.
Security at the distribution sites is managed by private American contractors, with the Israeli military stationed nearby. On Tuesday, the military stated that troops fired warning shots outside the compound but denied any aerial fire. Verification of the videos was conducted by matching details in the footage to satellite imagery and military visuals.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, responsible for the distribution effort, acknowledged the overwhelming need at its site in Tel al-Sultan, Rafah, stating that the volume of people prompted its team to retreat to allow a smaller number of Gazans to receive aid safely.
Two individuals involved in the initiative reported that crowds broke into the site in the late afternoon, estimating about 100 people were involved in the rush. The contractors retreated as planned to avoid conflict, while Palestinian workers formed a cordon to allow those who entered to take food packages. Calm was eventually restored without any shots fired by the contractors.
A Palestinian, identified only as Hassan for fear of retribution, described his experience traveling from Khan Younis to the site, ultimately leaving empty-handed after the chaos. He returned to his shelter after walking over three miles.
Earlier videos confirmed that some individuals received boxes of aid, but the total number of recipients remains unclear. Another individual, Mohammad, reported being among the first to arrive and noted that no arrests or searches occurred despite the visible presence of the Israeli army. However, he mentioned that tanks fired warning shots to control the crowds.
According to Mohammad, aid recipients received supplies regardless of identification. The aid boxes, marked with the "GHF" logo, contained basic food items and weighed approximately 20 kilograms. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation reported distributing about 8,000 food boxes, enough to provide 462,000 meals, but acknowledged that this constitutes only a small fraction of the needs of Gaza's two million residents.
Conflicting reports emerged regarding the number of distribution sites, with the foundation indicating only one while the Israeli military claimed two were operational. The centers are managed by international aid organizations and secured by an American civilian security company.
The foundation has faced criticism, leading to the resignation of its executive director just hours before the program commenced, citing difficulties in operating independently amid scrutiny over the group's ties to Israel.
Israel has justified the blockade to prevent aid from reaching Hamas, coordinating with the foundation to set up distribution sites. However, the visible presence of the Israeli military has raised concerns among humanitarian organizations, who argue that it endangers Palestinian civilians and limits access to food.
Critics, including Britain's foreign secretary, have condemned the strategy as an attempt to forcibly concentrate Gazans into a smaller area while providing insufficient aid. Hamas officials accused Israel of weaponizing aid as part of a broader plan to confine Palestinians.
In defense of the initiative, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that the aid distribution aims to prevent Hamas from exploiting supplies for warfare, asserting that the plan includes creating a "sterile zone" in southern Gaza for civilian protection. He characterized the chaotic scenes as minor setbacks in the overall effort, claiming control was quickly restored.