At least 25 people were killed Sunday, with scores injured on Sunday, according to health officials and multiple witnesses.
Officials at a nearby field hospital run by the Red Cross said at least 21 people were killed and 175 others were injured, without saying who opened fire at them.
Officials spoke on anonymous because they had no right to speak with reporters. Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the record department of Gaza's Ministry of Health, confirmed the death toll and said two of the two women were killed.
An Associated Press reporter saw dozens of people receiving treatment in the hospital.
New aid system for chaos damage
The distribution of aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been disrupted by chaos, with multiple witnesses saying Israeli troops fired in crowds near delivery sites.
The Army issued a brief statement saying it was “not yet aware of the damage caused by the fires in the distribution location of humanitarian aid (Israel military). The matter is still under review.”
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said in a statement that it provided assistance early on Sunday and denied previous records of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military areas where there are limited military areas.
At least six people were killed and 50 injured before Sunday, according to local health officials.
The foundation said the private security contractor guarding its site had not opened fire at the crowd yet, and the Israeli military has admitted to firing a warning gun on the front occasion.
The foundation said in a statement that it distributed 16 truck aid in “no accidents” earlier on Sunday and dismissed what it called “false reports of death, mass injury and chaos.”
The UN World Food Program calls for immediate delivery and distribution of food in Gaza to “so that they do not starve to death.” The agency reported that “hordes of hungry people” broke into one of the warehouses, with at least two dead and several injured.
Witnesses said: “Fire from all directions
Several hours before dawn, thousands of people travel to distribution locations.
Witnesses said when they headed to the scene, Israeli troops ordered them to disperse and come back later.
Witnesses said Israeli troops opened fire when the crowd reached the flag roundabout about a kilometer away.
“There are fires in all directions, naval warships, tanks and drones,” said Amr Abu Teiba in the crowd.
He said he saw at least 10 bodies with gunshot wounds and several other injured people, including women.
People use trolleys and are injured to outdoor hospitals.
“The scene was terrible,” he said. Another witness, Ibrahim Abu Saoud, provided a nearly identical statement.
He said the military opened fire from about 300 meters. Abu Saoud said he saw many people suffering gunshot wounds, including a young man, who he said died at the scene.
“We can't help him,” he said.
Mohammed Abuteima, 33, said he saw Israeli troops open fire, killing his cousin and another woman who was heading towards the distribution site.
He said his cousin was shot in his chest and died at the scene.
He said many others were injured, including his brother-in-law.
“They opened fire directly at us,” he said.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation today distributed aid boxes to Palestinians in Rafah as gunfire could be heard when people tried to reach the distribution point.
Israel, U.S.-backed aid delivery
The hub is part of Israel’s controversial new aid system, which the U.S. says is intended to prevent Hamas from withdrawing aid.
Israel has provided no evidence of any systematic transfer, nor has it been reported that any incidents occurred.
UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles because it allows Israel to control who receives aid and forces people to move to distribution sites and risk more massive displacement in the territory.
The UN system has been working to provide assistance after Israel slightly relaxed its general blockade last month.
The groups say Israel’s restrictions, the collapse of law and order, and widespread robbery have made it extremely difficult to provide assistance to approximately 2 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Experts warn that without more aid, the territory is at risk of famine.
The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 251 people. They still hold 58 hostages, about one-third of them are considered alive, and most of the rest are released in a ceasefire agreement or other deal.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel's military campaign killed more than 54,000 people, mainly women and children, which does not say how many are civilians or combatants.
The offensive destroyed a vast area of the territory, displaced 90% of its population and left people almost entirely dependent on international aid.
The U.S. Gaza plan seen on Friday was a 60-day ceasefire and released 28 Israeli hostages, including some late hostages in exchange for the release of 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and 180 Palestinian remains in the first week.
