It was the second such shooting in three days near a food distribution center, which is part of a contentious new Israeli and American-backed initiative.The New York Times reports that there was a second shooting in three days near a food distribution center in southern Gaza, which is part of a controversial new initiative backed by Israel and the United States. The Israeli military stated that soldiers opened fire on Tuesday morning as crowds of Palestinians were walking towards the site, resulting in at least 27 deaths according to the Red Cross and Gaza health ministry.
This is the second shooting in three days near the same site in the city of Rafah, where thousands of desperate and hungry Palestinians have been gathering early each day in hopes of receiving food. The first incident occurred on Sunday when Israeli soldiers opened fire near an approach to the distribution center, resulting in at least 23 deaths according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
The latest shooting has added to the chaos surrounding the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new aid system in Gaza that has faced numerous problems since its launch last week. The foundation confirmed that civilians were injured and killed after deviating from the designated “safe corridor” that leads to the distribution sites, as stated in their statement.
The success of this new initiative is crucial as aid agencies warn of the threat of widespread starvation in Gaza following the 80-day Israeli blockade on food deliveries that ended in mid-May. The Israeli military claims that their forces fired near a few individuals who had strayed from the designated route and did not respond to warning shots, calling them “suspects” who posed a threat to soldiers. However, they declined to provide further details on the perceived threat.
The United Nations has refused to participate in this new system, citing concerns for the safety of civilians who are forced to walk for miles to access food on a route that passes through Israeli military lines. They also argue that the positioning of the distribution points, mostly in Israeli-occupied areas of southern Gaza, could be part of a larger plan to displace the population of northern Gaza.
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