Palestinians describe more chaos at Israeli and US-backed aid hub
Palestinians described more scenes of chaos on Thursday at an aid distribution hub in the Gaza Strip established by a new Israeli and U.S.-backed foundation.
They said large crowds pushed their way through metal turnstiles as security contractors struggled to control the crowd. People scattered as gunfire rang out, though it was not clear who fired or if there were any casualties.
One woman said she had waited for hours before leaving with only a small bag of lentils.
“We have no bread to feed our children. I couldn’t get a single bag of flour,” she said in tears, declining to give her name. “I want to eat. I’m hungry.”
The hubs set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are guarded by private security contractors, with Israeli forces stationed nearby. Gaza’s Health Ministry and the United Nations said dozens of people were wounded by gunfire as they sought aid on Tuesday. GHF denied its forces fired on anyone, and the Israeli military said it only fired warning shots.
The U.N. and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new aid system, saying it will not be able to feed Gaza’s 2.3 million people and that it lets Israel use food to control the population.
Source: Associated Press
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