Latest news with #AymanAbuZaid
Time of India
28-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
A box of life: Desperation turns Gaza relief effort into scene of fear and chaos
Palestinians carry boxes containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organisation approved by Israel, in Rafah. (Pic credit: AP) Chaos broke out at a newly opened aid distribution centre in southern Gaza on Tuesday, as hundreds of desperate civilians scrambled for food amid bursts of gunfire and scenes of panic. The site, backed by an Israeli initiative and managed by private contractors, was overwhelmed on its first full day of operations, highlighting the mounting humanitarian crisis in the war-torn enclave. Crowds storm centre amid dire shortages Footage verified by The New York Times showed crowds, including women and children, surging into the compound in Rafah's Tel al-Sultan neighbourhood. Some climbed sand berms while others forced their way through fencing as boxes of aid were being distributed. 'Suddenly, a large number of people started pushing and entering randomly,' Ayman Abu Zaid told AFP, a displaced Gazan who had been standing in line. 'They tried to get in to take whatever they could.' Gunfire sends fleeing masses into panic In one clip, people are seen running away from the site as gunshots echo in the distance. Israeli troops, stationed outside the compound, later confirmed they had fired warning shots but denied using aerial fire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted there was a 'momentary loss of control,' though Israeli military officials called the operation a 'success.' The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which oversees the effort, said its team temporarily pulled back 'to allow a small number of Gazans to take aid safely and dissipate.' Security overwhelmed despite planning Security at the site is managed by American contractors, while Israeli forces monitor the perimeter. But even with protocols in place, the sheer volume of people proved unmanageable. Two people involved in the initiative confirmed that crowds eventually broke through in the afternoon. Palestinian workers formed a cordon to protect remaining supplies. Contractors retreated to avoid confrontation and did not fire weapons, according to sources. Hunger and uncertainty grip the population The aid distribution comes after Israel's blockade, in place since March, halted critical food and fuel deliveries into Gaza. Most humanitarian operations had stopped, and widespread hunger is now a daily reality. One man, identifying himself only as Hassan, said he walked more than three miles from his shelter in Khan Younis but left empty-handed. 'My stomach was empty, and I had to walk all the way back to the tent where my family is staying,' he said. A fragile lifeline in a deepening crisis Despite the chaos, the GHF says operations have resumed. Videos show some people receiving aid earlier in the day, though it remains unclear how many were served before the site was overrun. Tuesday's incident underscores both the desperation of civilians and the high stakes of delivering aid in Gaza.
Express Tribune
28-05-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Palestinians storm US-backed aid centres
Thousands of Palestinians rushed into a new aid distribution centre run by a US-backed group in southern Gaza on Tuesday, AFP journalists reported, leading to chaotic scenes as Israel implemented a new distribution system. The incident in Rafah came days after the partial easing of a total aid blockade on the territory that Israel imposed since March 2, leading to severe shortages of food and medicine. According to the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) normal operations resumed following the incident. "I was standing in the line at an aid distribution point in Rafah with hundreds of citizens, and suddenly a large number of people started pushing and entering randomly," Ayman Abu Zaid, a displaced Gazan, told AFP. "It was because of the lack of aid and the delay in distribution, so they tried to get in to take whatever they could." At one point, "the Israeli forces started shooting, and the sound was very frightening, and people began to scatter, but some still kept trying to take the aid despite the danger," he added. The Israeli military later said its "troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound". "Control over the situation was established, food distribution operations are expected to continue as planned, and the safety of IDF troops was not compromised," it said. The GHF said in a statement that there was a point at which the "volume of people at the SDS (distribution centre) was such that the GHF team fell back to allow a small number of Gazans to take aid safely and dissipate". "Normal operations have resumed," it added. AFP footage showed crowds of people streaming out of the area on Tuesday carrying supplies, including in boxes marked "GHF". GHF also blamed "blockades imposed by Hamas" for creating delays of several hours at one of its centres. In a statement of its own, Hamas's government media office said Israel's new efforts to distribute aid in Gaza had "failed miserably".
The Sun
28-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Chaos Erupts at Gaza Aid Site as Thousands Rush Supplies
RAFAH: Thousands of Palestinians rushed into a new aid distribution centre run by a US-backed group in southern Gaza on Tuesday, AFP journalists reported, leading to chaotic scenes as Israel implemented a new distribution system. The incident in Rafah came days after the partial easing of a total aid blockade on the territory that Israel imposed on March 2, leading to severe shortages of food and medicine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later acknowledged a 'loss of control momentarily' at the centre, but a senior military official said the distribution was nonetheless 'a success'. According to the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), normal operations resumed following the incident. Ayman Abu Zaid, a displaced Gazan, told AFP he was standing in line at the centre when 'suddenly a large number of people started pushing and entering randomly'. 'It was because of the lack of aid and the delay in distribution, so they tried to get in to take whatever they could,' he said. At one point, 'the Israeli forces started shooting, and the sound was very frightening, and people began to scatter, but some still kept trying to take the aid despite the danger', he added. The Israeli military later said its 'troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound', and that it had re-established 'control over the situation'. GHF said in a statement that there was a point at which the 'volume of people at the SDS (distribution centre) was such that the GHF team fell back to allow a small number of Gazans to take aid safely and dissipate'. 'Normal operations have resumed,' it added. AFP footage showed crowds of people streaming out of the area on Tuesday carrying supplies, including in boxes marked 'GHF'. '462,000 meals' GHF blamed 'blockades imposed by Hamas' for creating delays of several hours at one of its centres. In a statement of its own, Hamas's government media office said Israel's new efforts to distribute aid in Gaza had 'failed miserably'. 'This failure occurred after thousands of hungry people, who have been besieged by the occupation and deprived of food and medicine for about 90 days, rushed toward these areas in a tragic and painful scene,' the statement said. In its statement on Tuesday, the GHF said around '8,000 food boxes have been distributed so far... totalling 462,000 meals'. It previously said it had commenced operations the day before. A senior Israeli military official told AFP that 'today's distribution of aid by American providers was a success', saying Hamas had sought to frighten civilians into staying away, but Gazans turned out to collect thousands of aid packages nonetheless. Israel has facilitated GHF's efforts to distribute aid in Gaza, saying it aims to keep supplies out of Hamas's hands. '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,' Netanyahu said on Tuesday. 'There was some loss of control momentarily. Happily, we brought it back under control.' 'Heartbreaking' scenes GHF has faced accusations of helping Israel fulfil its military objectives while excluding Palestinians, bypassing the UN system, and failing to adhere to humanitarian principles. A spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres called Tuesday's scenes 'heartbreaking', adding that 'we and our partners have a detailed, principled, operationally sound plan supported by Member States to get aid to a desperate population'. Registered in Geneva in February, GHF has no known offices or representatives in the unofficial capital of the humanitarian world. Its former executive director, Jake Wood, announced his resignation on Sunday, saying it was impossible to do his job in line with humanitarian principles. Some humanitarian workers have argued that the designation of secure distribution sites contravenes the principle of humanity because it would force already displaced people to move again in order to stay alive. Critics have also questioned who determined the location of the distribution points -- especially in light of Israel's plans for the 'conquest' of Gaza. In an article published on May 24, The New York Times, citing unnamed Israeli officials, reported that a new US-backed aid plan for Gaza had been 'conceived and largely developed by Israelis as a way to undermine Hamas'. The United Nations has ruled out involvement in GHF's plan, with a spokesman saying that it 'does not accord with our basic principles, including those of impartiality, neutrality, independence'. COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body that oversees civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, said '95 trucks belonging to the UN and the international community carrying humanitarian aid' were allowed into Gaza on Tuesday. Separately, it alleged that hundreds of trucks were piling up just inside the Gaza Strip waiting to be picked up by the UN. 'Don't fall for misinformation,' it said on X. 'The UN still refuses to do its job.'
The Sun
28-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Thousands rush into new aid distribution centre in south Gaza
RAFAH: Thousands of Palestinians rushed into a new aid distribution centre run by a US-backed group in southern Gaza on Tuesday, AFP journalists reported, leading to chaotic scenes as Israel implemented a new distribution system. The incident in Rafah came days after the partial easing of a total aid blockade on the territory that Israel imposed on March 2, leading to severe shortages of food and medicine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later acknowledged a 'loss of control momentarily' at the centre, but a senior military official said the distribution was nonetheless 'a success'. According to the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), normal operations resumed following the incident. Ayman Abu Zaid, a displaced Gazan, told AFP he was standing in line at the centre when 'suddenly a large number of people started pushing and entering randomly'. 'It was because of the lack of aid and the delay in distribution, so they tried to get in to take whatever they could,' he said. At one point, 'the Israeli forces started shooting, and the sound was very frightening, and people began to scatter, but some still kept trying to take the aid despite the danger', he added. The Israeli military later said its 'troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound', and that it had re-established 'control over the situation'. GHF said in a statement that there was a point at which the 'volume of people at the SDS (distribution centre) was such that the GHF team fell back to allow a small number of Gazans to take aid safely and dissipate'. 'Normal operations have resumed,' it added. AFP footage showed crowds of people streaming out of the area on Tuesday carrying supplies, including in boxes marked 'GHF'. ' 462,000 meals' GHF blamed 'blockades imposed by Hamas' for creating delays of several hours at one of its centres. In a statement of its own, Hamas's government media office said Israel's new efforts to distribute aid in Gaza had 'failed miserably'. 'This failure occurred after thousands of hungry people, who have been besieged by the occupation and deprived of food and medicine for about 90 days, rushed toward these areas in a tragic and painful scene,' the statement said. In its statement on Tuesday, the GHF said around '8,000 food boxes have been distributed so far... totalling 462,000 meals'. It previously said it had commenced operations the day before. A senior Israeli military official told AFP that 'today's distribution of aid by American providers was a success', saying Hamas had sought to frighten civilians into staying away, but Gazans turned out to collect thousands of aid packages nonetheless. Israel has facilitated GHF's efforts to distribute aid in Gaza, saying it aims to keep supplies out of Hamas's hands. '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,' Netanyahu said on Tuesday. 'There was some loss of control momentarily. Happily, we brought it back under control.' 'Heartbreaking' scenes GHF has faced accusations of helping Israel fulfil its military objectives while excluding Palestinians, bypassing the UN system, and failing to adhere to humanitarian principles. A spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres called Tuesday's scenes 'heartbreaking', adding that 'we and our partners have a detailed, principled, operationally sound plan supported by Member States to get aid to a desperate population'. Registered in Geneva in February, GHF has no known offices or representatives in the unofficial capital of the humanitarian world. Its former executive director, Jake Wood, announced his resignation on Sunday, saying it was impossible to do his job in line with humanitarian principles. Some humanitarian workers have argued that the designation of secure distribution sites contravenes the principle of humanity because it would force already displaced people to move again in order to stay alive. Critics have also questioned who determined the location of the distribution points -- especially in light of Israel's plans for the 'conquest' of Gaza. In an article published on May 24, The New York Times, citing unnamed Israeli officials, reported that a new US-backed aid plan for Gaza had been 'conceived and largely developed by Israelis as a way to undermine Hamas'. The United Nations has ruled out involvement in GHF's plan, with a spokesman saying that it 'does not accord with our basic principles, including those of impartiality, neutrality, independence'. COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body that oversees civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, said '95 trucks belonging to the UN and the international community carrying humanitarian aid' were allowed into Gaza on Tuesday. Separately, it alleged that hundreds of trucks were piling up just inside the Gaza Strip waiting to be picked up by the UN. 'Don't fall for misinformation,' it said on X. 'The UN still refuses to do its job.'
NDTV
28-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Video: Chaotic Scenes In Gaza As Thousands Rush Into Israeli Aid Centre
Thousands of Palestinians rushed into a new aid distribution centre run by a US-backed group in southern Gaza on Tuesday, AFP journalists reported, leading to chaotic scenes as Israel implemented a new distribution system. The incident in Rafah came days after the partial easing of a total aid blockade on the territory that Israel imposed since March 2, leading to severe shortages of food and medicine. According to the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), normal operations resumed following the incident. "I was standing in the line at an aid distribution point in Rafah with hundreds of citizens, and suddenly a large number of people started pushing and entering randomly," Ayman Abu Zaid, a displaced Gazan, told AFP. "It was because of the lack of aid and the delay in distribution, so they tried to get in to take whatever they could." 🚨BREAKING | The US-Israeli backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation opened fire on civilians after losing control over its so-called aid distribution point in west Rafah, with armed personnel responding by shooting instead of managing the crowd properly. The foundation, accused of… — Translating Falasteen (Palestine) (@translatingpal) May 27, 2025 At one point, "the Israeli forces started shooting, and the sound was very frightening, and people began to scatter, but some still kept trying to take the aid despite the danger," he added. The Israeli military later said its "troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound". "Control over the situation was established, food distribution operations are expected to continue as planned, and the safety of IDF troops was not compromised," it said. The GHF said in a statement that there was a point at which the "volume of people at the SDS (distribution centre) was such that the GHF team fell back to allow a small number of Gazans to take aid safely and dissipate". "Normal operations have resumed," it added. AFP footage showed crowds of people streaming out of the area on Tuesday carrying supplies, including in boxes marked "GHF". GHF also blamed "blockades imposed by Hamas" for creating delays of several hours at one of its centres. In a statement of its own, Hamas's government media office said Israel's new efforts to distribute aid in Gaza had "failed miserably". "This failure occurred after thousands of hungry people, who have been besieged by the occupation and deprived of food and medicine for about 90 days, rushed toward these areas in a tragic and painful scene," the statement said. '462,000 meals' In its statement on Tuesday, the GHF said around "8,000 food boxes have been distributed so far... totalling 462,000 meals". Israel recently partnered with the group to distribute aid in Gaza, saying it aims to keep supplies out of Hamas's hands. GHF has since faced accusations of helping Israel fulfil its military objectives while excluding Palestinians, bypassing the UN system, and failing to adhere to humanitarian principles. A spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres called Tuesday's scenes "heartbreaking to say the least". "As the Secretary General noted last week, we and our partners have a detailed, principled, operationally sound plan supported by Member States to get aid to a desperate population," Stephane Dujarric said. Registered in Geneva in February, the GHF has no known offices or representatives in the unofficial capital of the humanitarian world. Its former executive director, Jake Wood, announced his resignation on Sunday, saying it was impossible to do his job in line with humanitarian principles. On Monday, the GHF said it had commenced operations, delivering "truckloads of food to its Secure Distribution Sites, where distribution to the Gazan people began". Some humanitarian workers have argued that the designation of secure distribution sites contravenes the principle of humanity because it would force already displaced people to move again in order to stay alive. Critics have also questioned who determined the location of the distribution points -- especially in light of Israel's plans for the "conquest" of Gaza. The United Nations has ruled out involvement in GHF's plan, with a spokesman saying that it "does not accord with our basic principles, including those of impartiality, neutrality, independence". A group of NGOs, including ActionAid, this month said: "Aid that is used to mask ongoing violence is not aid, it is in fact humanitarian cover for a military strategy of control and dispossession." In an article published on May 24, The New York Times, citing unnamed Israeli officials, reported that a new US-backed aid plan for Gaza had been "conceived and largely developed by Israelis as a way to undermine Hamas."
