Latest news with #TheGazaHumanitarianFoundation
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
GHF denies reports of violence at aid sites after announcing temp. site closure
The GHF opened two sites in southern Gaza on Thursday after closing all of its centers the previous day in the wake of shootings in the vicinity of its operations. All aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip were temporarily closed Friday morning due to excessive crowding, which made it unsafe to proceed, The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced Friday afternoon in an emailed statement following an earlier notice on Facebook. GHF said that all media reports of disruptions are inaccurate and that aid was distributed peacefully and without incident. "At no point did violence occur," the organization said. "Our official Facebook page is a mechanism to communicate with the people of Gaza to ensure their safe passage," GHF added. "We would like to inform you that all sites of aid distribution are closed. Please stay away from distribution sites for your safety," GHF said in the earlier Facebook post. "Opening date will be announced on this page." IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X on Friday that Palestinians would have 'free movement' to aid distribution sites between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., but warned that outside those hours the area would be a 'closed military zone' and movement would pose a significant risk to life. The GHF opened two sites in southern Gaza on Thursday after closing all of its centers the previous day in the wake of shootings in the vicinity of its operations. It has so far operated four distribution centers. Palestinians collecting aid from GHF sites told Reuters that there was no clear distribution system, describing the process as disorganized and chaotic. Footage released this week by the organization has shown similar scenes at one of its sites. GHF halted distributions on Wednesday and said it was pressing Israeli forces to improve civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its operations after dozens of Palestinians were shot dead near the Rafah site over three consecutive days. The Israeli military said on Sunday and Monday that its soldiers had fired warning shots. On Tuesday, it said, forces also fired warning shots before firing towards Palestinians that it said were advancing towards troops. GHF has said that aid was safely handed out from its sites without any incident. This is a developing story.
ITV News
4 days ago
- General
- ITV News
Controversial Gaza aid organisation halts operations after fatal shootings at hubs
A US humanitarian aid organisation backed by Israel, which is running several distribution hubs in Gaza has temporarily halted its operations, following days of fatal shootings into crowds heading towards its sites. In a statement on Facebook, The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said entry to its centres would be "prohibited" on Wednesday, June 4, due to "efficiency improvement works". This will involve working with Israel 's military to improve civilian safety, before operations resume on Thursday, it added. At least 80 people have been killed and hundreds injured in a spate of similar incidents across the past week, health officials in Gaza have said. These include: Sunday, June 1: At least 31 killed and more than 170 wounded after witnesses report Israeli forces opening fire on large crowds around one kilometre from the Rafah distribution hub. Monday, June 2: Health authorities in Gaza say Israeli forces fired at people in the same location, killing at least three and wounding dozens. Tuesday, June 3: Crowds were again fired on, killing at least 27 and injuring at least 184 according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. A spokesperson for the UN also confirmed these deaths. Israel's military has denied opening fire on crowds of civilians - instead claiming it fired "warning shots" towards "suspects" on several occasions. According to Palestinian witnesses, the heaviest shootings happened on Tuesday and Sunday at the Flag Roundabout, around a kilometre from the Rafah hub, where crowds amassed through the night ahead of its 5am opening. The GHF began operations on May 26, and is made up of former humanitarian, government and military officials, mostly from the US. It is backed by Israel, who have sought an alternative to the UN-led aid distrbution system, claiming Hamas are siphoning aid from civilians, something the UN disputes. However, the GHF has been accused of "weaponising aid", by giving Israel the power to choose who receives aid and forcing Gaza's population to move towards where it is being distributed. All hubs are currently found in southern and central Gaza, currently sparsely populated - with no hubs in the north of the territory. The GHF began operating amid warnings of all-out famine, after a months-long blockade which prevented humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.
