A U.S. and Israel-backed group sent aid to Gaza, saying Friday that all its distribution locations were closed until further notice urging residents to stay away from the venues “to be safely” after a series of deadly shootings.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing meals to hungry Palestinians in the war-shocked Gaza Strip last week, and he said a reopening date will be announced later.
GHF closed all centers the day before, opening two locations in southern Gaza on Thursday after shootings near its operations. So far, it has operated four distribution centers.
The group bypassed traditional relief agencies and was criticized by humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations for their alleged lack of neutrality.
The GHF stopped distribution on Wednesday and said Israeli forces forced Israeli forces to improve the security of civilians outside its operations after dozens of Palestinians were shot and killed in the vicinity of Rafah for three consecutive days.
Israeli military said on Sunday and Monday that its soldiers fired warning guns. It said the troops also warned the Palestinians on Tuesday that it was moving towards the troops. GHF said the aid was safely departing from its site without any incidents.
Israel blocked aid supplies to Gaza for 11 weeks after a two-month ceasefire broke out in March, prompting global hunger monitors to warn of famine. Since then, Israel has only partially blocked, reviewing all aid to Gaza and accusing Hamas of stealing some of them, which militant groups deny.
Since a two-month-old ceasefire broke out in a war in March in a war triggered by a cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, Israel has reconsolidated its offensive against Gaza's dominant Hamas militant group, led by Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli military has recovered the bodies of Canadian Israeli Judih Weinstein and her husband Israeli US Gadi Haggai. Hamas has held a body in Gaza since 2023.
The initial attacks were killed in Israel, including Canadian citizens, including several Canadian citizens.
According to the Israeli government, about 251 hostages were also taken, and about dozens of people are still alive. Although many remaining people have been released during regular prisoner exchanges, the bodies of other hostages have been repatriated, including Canadian citizen Judih Weinstein and her husband this week.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, Israel’s military campaign killed more than 54,000 Palestinians.
