SRINAGAR: The UN Human Rights Office said on Wednesday that 47 people were injured by gunfire while trying to receive food aid at distribution sites in Gaza on Tuesday.
Ajith Sunghay, Head of the UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said the gunfire came from Israeli forces, citing reports from partners on the ground. The exact location of the shooting was not confirmed.
The incident took place at a distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group backed by the US and Israel but not recognised by the UN or major humanitarian agencies.
Thousands of people gathered at a GHF compound in Rafah. Videos showed fences torn down as people entered the site in large numbers. Witnesses said Israeli troops fired shots as crowds rushed for aid. Some described scenes of chaos and panic, with people ducking and running.
The Israeli military said troops fired “warning shots” near the site and claimed food distribution would continue as planned.
The GHF uses armed American security contractors and operates independently of the UN. It has distributed around 462,000 meals, according to its statement, though access delays were reported. The group blamed Hamas for some of those delays.
The UN and aid organisations have refused to co-operate with GHF, saying its model risks excluding vulnerable people and undermines humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality. They warned the approach could set a harmful global precedent.
Jake Wood, GHF’s executive director, resigned on Sunday, citing the failure to uphold core humanitarian principles. GHF’s board rejected the criticism.
Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza in March, later easing restrictions slightly under international pressure. Since then, over 665 aid trucks have entered Gaza, though hundreds of loads remain undistributed due to logistical challenges.
The UN estimates half a million people in Gaza are at risk of starvation. The ongoing conflict began after the October 7 Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 people in Israel. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza. Gaza’s health ministry says over 54,000 people have been killed since then.
