News- Middle East: The so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) says 20 Palestinian aid seekers were killed during a stampede at one of its aid distribution centers in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

The GHF said in a statement published on X on Wednesday that 19 people were crushed and one was stabbed in a “chaotic and dangerous surge.”

The United States’ government and the Israeli regime are the benefactors of the foundation.

The GHF claimed the stampede was “driven by agitators in the crowd.”

However, eyewitnesses and Gaza health authorities say GHF guards fired tear gas and pepper spray on crowds as they were trapped between the fences and the gates.

The Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement that at least 15 people had lost their lives due to toxic gas suffocation, which disproves the GHF’s claim that there were agitators in the crowd.

“The Israeli occupation forces and the center’s private security personnel opened fire on [aid seekers], resulting in a large number of deaths and injuries,” Gaza health authorities said.

“This is the first time that deaths have been recorded due to suffocation and severe stampedes at aid distribution centers.”

According to its reports, by the end of its first day of operations, it had distributed 8,000 food boxes, estimated to feed 44,000 people for half a week, covering only about 2% of Gaza’s population. 

On June 12, it reported a daily distribution of 2.6 million meals, the highest daily output since the start of its operations.

The United Nations, its affiliated agencies, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and other humanitarian organizations have repeatedly stated that they cannot confirm any of the GHF’s claims regarding food distribution in Gaza.

Since May 27, thousands of Palestinians have been killed and wounded by Israeli gunfire as they approached the GHF distribution centers.

In its late June issue, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the Israeli regime’s forces had received orders to fire on the unarmed aid seekers to “keep them away from food distribution centers.”

Despite the Israeli regime’s claims that an alternative distribution pathway is needed as the Palestinian resistance group Hamas allegedly ‘steals’ aid, the UN officials have said the looting of Gaza aid has nothing to do with Hamas.

The UN has categorically stated that looting is instead being performed by the so-called Popular Forces, a Daesh-linked anti-Hamas militia armed and supported by Israel.

The UN and other humanitarian groups have criticized the GHF for politicizing aid distribution, saying it is giving cover for Israel to pursue its aims to depopulate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

On July 1, 169 NGOs called for immediate action to end the GHF operations and revert to United Nations-led aid coordination mechanisms.

Source: Press TV