Israeli military shoots at aid seekers again near new distribution site, pick-up points remain closed

Mada

5 days ago

Thousands of Palestinians who headed to the Israeli-controlled aid distribution zone in southern Gaza on Wednesday did not receive any supplies as the centers remained closed to the public throughout the day, eyewitnesses told Mada Masr.
Instead, Israeli drones opened fire on them again, injuring dozens and killing at least four near the Morag corridor, where the new distribution site is located. Aid seekers were told to return home until they are informed of the center's reopening.
Wednesday marked the second day of the US-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's operations in an area Israel has designated for a new aid distribution program it has sought to install to replace existing mechanisms.
In its first day of operations, Israeli forces stationed near the distribution site conducted at least 13 arrests before opening fire on crowds of people who rushed toward the boxed supplies, while GHF evacuated its staff. The Gaza Government Media Office described the operation as 'an absolute failure.'
Thousands of Palestinians headed to the aid distribution center in western Rafah on Wednesday, eyewitnesses who were seeking aid told Mada Masr. The center is based near Morag, the bulldozed corridor zone established by the Israeli military to separate Rafah from the rest of southern Gaza. The area was known among locals as the Muharrarat route or Miraj Street, and was dubbed Morag in the period from 1967 until 2005 during which Israel maintained settlements in the Gaza Strip.
When they arrived, they found Israeli military vehicles awaiting them near the corridor. Israeli drones opened fire on the crowds to disperse them, the eyewitnesses said.
Several aid seekers were injured and an elderly Palestinian woman was killed in the attack, an eyewitness, Nasser al-Louh, told Mada Masr. At least three more aid seekers were killed by Israeli fire at the site, Palestinian outlets reported.
Israeli drones then began to broadcast a recording over loudspeakers ordering residents to retreat to their homes and await messages informing them of the center's reopening date, Louh added.
The Civil Defense Directorate in Gaza announced on Wednesday that its ambulance services are currently unable to operate in Rafah. The agency stopped its operations in Gaza's southernmost city in March, when Israeli forces invaded the area, breaking the ceasefire.
The directorate stated on Wednesday that it faces obstacles in transporting the injured and dead from Rafah to hospitals, saying it is currently forced to move them in civilian and animal-drawn vehicles.
Similar scenes ensued on Tuesday when the new distribution points opened for the first time. Lengthy inspections meant that the thousands who had gathered to receive aid grew tired of waiting in areas enclosed with wire mesh under the scorching afternoon sun.
A crowd ultimately broke through the gates and rushed toward the aid boxes to seize them, at which point the distribution company, GHF, evacuated its staff while Israeli forces stationed nearby opened fire on aid seekers.
Israeli forces injured about 50 Palestinians and killed an unspecified number on Tuesday inside and around the aid distribution center in Rafah, according to Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam, which added that a number of victims remain at the scene and have not yet been recovered.