Israeli Troops Open Fire After US-Backed Group Loses Control Of Aid Distribution Site In Gaza
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Thousands of hungry Palestinians walked over torn-down fences at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's (GHF) compound in the southern city of Rafah, after a blockade by Israel.
Israeli troops opened fire near thousands of hungry Palestinians after they overran an aid distribution site in Gaza set up by a US and Israeli-backed group in Gaza, a day after it began working there, according to several reports.
Videos on social media showed huge crowds walking over torn-down fences at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's (GHF) compound in the southern city of Rafah. The aid group was not prepared to receive such a huge crowd and the staff at one point had to abandon their posts, according to The Guardian.
'At one moment in the late afternoon, the volume of people at the SDS [secure distribution centre] was such that the GHF team fell back to allow a small number of Palestinians in Gaza to take aid safely and dissipate," the GHF said in a statement.
Israeli tank fire and gunfire were heard as the situation spiralled out of control, and a military helicopter fired flares. At least three injured Palestinians were taken from the scene, one of them bleeding from a leg wound.
⚠️BREAKING: Complete chaos in Gaza right now as thousands of Gazans stormed humanitarian aid distribution compounds, stealing everything, including aid, equipment, tables, chairs, and nets. They took it all.Did anyone expect this to go differently?
— Vivid.🇮🇱 (@VividProwess) May 27, 2025
The Israeli military said it fired 'warning shots" near the compound to restore control, as thousands of hungry Palestinians rushed into an open field where aid boxes were waiting. Some of them managed to obtain aid boxes with basic items including sugar, flour, pasta and tahini, but most left empty-handed.
The GHF said its decision to abandon the distribution centre 'was done in accordance with the protocol to avoid casualties" and said it had handed 8,000 boxes of food to feed 44,000 people – which is 2% of Gaza's population. The foundation said deliveries would be increased during the week.
Israeli PM Acknowledges 'Loss Of Control'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that there was a 'loss of control momentarily", but a senior military official told AFP that the distribution was nonetheless 'a success".
'We worked out a plan with our American friends to have controlled distribution sites where an American company would distribute the food to Palestinian families… There was some loss of control momentarily. Happily, we brought it back under control," said Netanyahu in a speech on Tuesday.
Israel's 11-week siege and a tight blockade has resulted in widespread hunger and starvation in Gaza as Palestinians reel from a devastating offensive that has killed more than 54,000 people and rendered over a million homeless.
The UN said the videos of aid distribution from Rafah were 'heartbreaking" and that it had a detailed plan ready to get enough aid to the 'desperate population" of 2.1 million. Furthermore, the UN is at odds with the GHF, accusing the latter of contradicting humanitarian principles and 'weaponising aid".
Jake Wood, the founding director of the GHF, resigned on Sunday, saying that it would not be possible for the group to deliver aid 'while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence".
The GHF board rejected the criticism and accused Hamas of stealing aid, echoing statements made by the US and Israel. US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce criticised the UN's stance on working with the GHF and said the main focus was giving aid to Gaza.
Hamas has publicly warned Palestinians not to co-operate with GHF's system, after accusations from Israel of disrupting supply networks to profit from aid.
'People Are Exhausted'
Witnesses in Gaza described scenes of chaos as people seized food parcels and other aid from the site. 'The situation was extremely difficult. They only allowed 50 people to cross at a time. In the end, chaos broke out – people climbed over the gates, attacked others, and took all the [aid]," one man told BBC.
'People are exhausted – willing to do anything, even risk their lives – just to find food and feed their children," said a woman. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the organisation and its partners had a 'detailed, principled, operationally sound plan" to get aid inside Gaza.
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Israel imposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid and commercial supplies to Gaza on March 2, while resuming its military offensive that has killed over 4,000 people since that month. Netanyahu also announced the launch of an expanded offensive this month that would see troops 'take control of all areas" of Gaza.
Following pressure from allies, Netanyahu said Israel would temporarily ease the blockade and allow 'basic amount of food" in Gaza to prevent a famine. Since then, Israeli authorities say they have allowed at least 665 loads of humanitarian aid, including flour, baby food and medical supplies, into Gaza.
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