At least 20 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday in a stampede in an aid distribution center run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. GHF said that the fatal crush was caused by ‘armed agitators’ who deliberately created disorder at the location.
The U.S.-backed, Israel-supported GHF reported 19 individuals were crushed in the crowd rush, and another person was stabbed to death. In a formal statement, the group asserted: “We have credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd armed and affiliated with Hamas, deliberately fomented the unrest.”
But Hamas dismissed the charge, terming it ‘false and misleading’, and accused GHF guards, in cooperation with Israeli soldiers, of attacking the crowd. “GHF guards and Israeli soldiers sprayed people with pepper gas and opened fire,” the group stated.
In a letter response to Reuters, the GHF labeled Hamas’ allegations as ‘blatantly false’, further stating, “At no time was tear gas used, nor were shots fired amongst the crowd. Limited pepper spray was used, only to prevent further loss of life.”
The organization also claimed that Hamas is seeking to disrupt its operations in the midst of continued ceasefire talks. “Today’s incident is one piece of a broader pattern of Hamas attempting to undermine and ultimately shut down GHF. It is no surprise that this incident took place during ceasefire negotiations, where Hamas continues to insist that GHF shut down.”
Eyewitness Descriptions of Chaos and Choking
Eyewitnesses to the tragic accident recounted gruesome scenes of panic and overfilling. Mahmoud Fojo, 21, who was injured in the accident, related to Reuters, “People continued to gather and push each other; when people pushed one another…those who couldn’t stand fell beneath the people and were trampled.”
He continued, “Some individuals began leaping over the netted fence and were injured. We were hurt, and God protected us. We were lying under the people and we said the Shahada (prayers of death). We were going to die, it was all over.”
Witnesses added that the gates at the distribution centre were shut, piling crowds between the gate and an outer fence. The deployment of pepper spray by guards contributed to the chaos, according to reports.
There was no comment from the Israeli military on the incident, but the Palestinian health authorities stated that 21 individuals were killed by suffocation. One of the medics at the scene explained that the victims were caused by the fact that people had been packed into a small space and ended up resulting in a crush.
GHF Model Under Scrutiny
The GHF approach has been criticized previously. In contrast to conventional U.N.-organized systems, the foundation employs private American security and logistics firms to bring aid, stating it prevents militant theft. Israel backs the model, claiming Hamas stole aid from other convoys, which Hamas denies.
The United Nations has opposed the GHF’s actions strongly, deeming them unsafe and a transgression of humanitarian impartiality standards, a reason for complaint rejected by the GHF.
Amjad Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGOs Network, accused the foundation of working failures, “People who crowd in their thousands (at GHF facilities) are hungry and fatigued, and they get packed into narrow spaces, amidst shortages of aid and the lack of organization and discipline by the GHF.”
Only one day before the Khan Younis stampede, the U.N. rights agency in Geneva reported at least 875 fatalities close to areas of food distribution and aid trucks in Gaza in the last six weeks, many close to GHF locations.
Most of the victims were reportedly killed by gunfire blamed by locals on Israeli soldiers. Israel’s military acknowledged civilians were injured and stated that it had changed its modus operandi with ‘lessons learned’.
War Continues Unabated
While the humanitarian situation worsens, the overall conflict continues to take a toll on lives. Gaza health officials said at least 87 individuals were slain in Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours.
More than 58,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict started in October 2023, according to local authorities.
Conversely, Israeli statistics report that close to 1,650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including the 1,200 lost on October 7 during the Hamas attack.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli military said it had finished building a new road in southern Gaza that separates towns east of Khan Younis from the rest of the enclave. Although the military termed it as an anti-Hamas initiative, Palestinians viewed it as an exertion of pressure in current ceasefire negotiations.
Talks, which were initiated on July 6 and are being facilitated by Egypt and Qatar with American assistance, have yet to produce any breakthrough. The sources familiar with the talks assert that Hamas has rejected Israel’s insistence on maintaining dominance over 40% of Gaza.
In exchange, Hamas has demanded disestablishing GHF activities and restoring a U.N.-driven system for delivering aid.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the war would cease only when Hamas is eliminated and disarmed in Gaza.
