A devastating incident at a US- and Israel-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution center in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis region has claimed at least 20 lives, according to the GHF and local medical reports. The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday when a chaotic crowd surge led to a deadly crush, with the GHF reporting 19 people trampled and one stabbed during the disorder. The organization alleged that individuals “armed and affiliated with Hamas” instigated the unrest, a claim swiftly rejected by Gaza’s Hamas-run Government Media Office, which accused the GHF of fabricating a narrative to mask a crime.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received 21 bodies, with medical staff attributing the deaths to suffocation caused by tear gas inhalation and the intense crush. A harrowing video, verified by credible sources, showed a witness at the hospital standing beside the bodies of six boys and men, decrying the deaths of children who were simply seeking food. The witness described how people were trapped between fences at the GHF site, leading to the fatal stampede. “They were crushed between barriers while waiting for aid,” he said, visibly distraught. “What did these children do to deserve this?”
Survivors recounted scenes of chaos. Mahmoud Fojo, a 21-year-old injured in the incident, described how contractors began closing the site’s gates as crowds swelled. “People were pushing, and those who couldn’t stand were trampled,” he said. Another witness, Ahmed Abu Omra, alleged that armed contractors guarding the site fired “pepper bombs” into the crowd, exacerbating the panic as people were funneled into narrow passageways.
The Hamas-run Government Media Office claimed the contractors caused the disaster by shutting gates after thousands had gathered in confined spaces, then using tear gas and live ammunition. The GHF, however, denied these accusations, insisting that no tear gas or gunfire was used against the crowd. They admitted to limited pepper spray use to prevent further casualties and highlighted an instance where an American worker risked their safety to save a child from being crushed.
The GHF operates its aid sites within Israeli military zones, relying on private security contractors to manage distributions—a system Israel and the US defend as necessary to prevent aid theft by Hamas. The United Nations, however, has criticized the setup as unethical and refuses to participate. Reports of Palestinian deaths during aid distributions have surged since the GHF began operations in May, with witnesses frequently citing shootings by Israeli forces near these sites.
Thameen Al-Kheetan, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office, noted the dire situation in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of desperate, hungry residents rely on just a handful of GHF distribution points. “The severe shortage of humanitarian aid, combined with reports of shootings and shelling near these sites, is fueling chaos and desperation,” he said. The UN has documented 674 deaths near GHF sites over the past six weeks, alongside 201 additional killings along other aid convoy routes. Until this incident, the GHF had denied any fatalities in close proximity to its operations, dismissing UN figures as misleading.
The Israeli military acknowledged last week that civilian harm has occurred during aid distributions and stated it is taking steps to reduce tensions between civilians and its forces. The UN, meanwhile, has urged Israel, as the occupying power, to ensure unhindered access to humanitarian aid to meet the needs of Gaza’s population.
This tragedy underscores the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the struggle for basic necessities continues to exact a devastating toll.
