(LONDON) — The United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) will pause operations at its distribution sites in the Gaza Strip for 24 hours, the organization said in a statement on Tuesday.
The decision comes after at least 27 people were killed and more than 90 injured by Israeli forces as they waited to collect humanitarian aid at a distribution center in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
The food distribution centers in southern Gaza have been overrun with thousands and thousands of Palestinians in search of food and medicine following Israel’s partial lifting of the 11-week blockade of aid.
The GHF said they are enacting the pause to conduct “logistical preparations and staging in the centers themselves to cope with the amount of people arriving,” at them. “We did not expect 15,000 per hour,” the GHF said in the statement.
Tuesday’s reported shooting would be the second such incident in three days to have occurred near humanitarian aid distribution sites.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said they have responded to five mass casualty incidents, four of which occurred in the last 96 hours alone in a statement Tuesday.
The IDF addresses deadly shooting
Addressing the shooting on Tuesday, Israel Defense Forces acknowledged they “carried out warning fire approximately half a kilometer from the aid distribution center, targeting a few individuals who were approaching in a way that posed a security threat,” in a video statement by IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin.
Nineteen people were declared dead upon arrival at the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah, according to the ICRC. Eight others “died due to their wounds shortly after,” the ICRC said in a statement Tuesday.
Many of those who showed up at the Red Cross Field Hospital were then sent to Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, the only functioning major hospital in southern Gaza. Twenty-four people who were killed arrived at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, according to Atef Al-Hout, the hospital’s director-general, who said most of the casualties were from gunfire.
The majority of victims suffered gunshot wounds, and “all responsive patients said they were trying to reach an assistance distribution site,” the ICRC said.
This is the fifth mass-casualty incident the ICRC Field Hospital in Rafah has responded to “in the span of one week,” four of which occurred in the last 96 hours alone, the ICRC said.
“Today’s is the highest number of weapon-wounded patients received in a single incident since the establishment of the field hospital over a year ago. The high number of patients far exceeded the number of beds at the hospital and threatened to overwhelm the capacity of its staff to respond,” the ICRC said.
“Supplies cannot currently be replenished at the rate necessary to meet the high number of casualties, which is increasing the strain on the hospital and existing stocks,” the ICRC said.
The ICRC again called for the “rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian relief into Gaza.”
“The ICRC urgently reiterates its call for the respect and protection of civilians. Civilians trying to access humanitarian assistance should not have to confront danger,” the ICRC said.
Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Efi Defrin defended the U.S.-backed aid distribution plan in Gaza that began last week, saying on Tuesday the new method of distributing aid damages Hamas’ credibility and undermines its rule.
“The plan is proving itself and is successful. Gaza residents are arriving at the compounds. They understand that Hamas is not the one who is taking care of them, but on the contrary — it is trying to prevent them from receiving the aid,” Defrin said.
Defrin also confirmed Israeli forces are operating near these new aid distribution points.
“We are operating near the new distribution areas — and are doing everything necessary to allow the distribution of food in an orderly manner and to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas,” Defrin said.
Established international aid groups operating inside Gaza have criticized the U.S.-backed aid distribution plan, saying it is militarized and negates the neutrality of international humanitarian work.
Earlier Tuesday, Defrin denied reports Israeli forces have shot at civilians in Gaza trying to reach these aid distribution points, calling these reports “completely false,” and blamed the shootings last week and before today on Hamas.
“In recent days, gunmen could be seen shooting at civilians who were on their way to collect humanitarian aid. In southern Khan Yunis, masked terrorists opened direct and targeted fire from close range and threw stones at Gazan civilians who were trying to collect aid. Hamas is losing control over the population. Hamas continues to act in its familiar way against its own residents — with terror, violence and killing,” Defrin said.
The UN condemns incidents at aid centers
The United Nations Secretary General “condemns the loss of lives and injuries of Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza,” his spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday.
“The Secretary-General continues to call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable,” the spokesperson said.
“The unimpeded entry of humanitarian assistance at scale must be restored immediately. The UN must be allowed to work in safety and security under conditions of full respect for humanitarian principles,” the spokesperson said.
International aid groups working on the ground in Gaza have reported treating people with gunshot wounds last week and this week after shots were fired near the aid distribution points.
The White House said it is looking into reports of Israeli forces firing on Palestinians.
“We’re going to look into reports before we confirm them from this podium or before we take action,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.
The GHF’s aid distribution operation — which the United Nations and other aid groups have so far refused to take part in, citing concerns that the GHF is not operating independently of Israeli forces — has been beset by reports of violence.
On Sunday, dozens of people were shot dead and more than 200 wounded by Israeli fire around a kilometer from an aid distribution site in the south of the strip near the city of Rafah, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health.
The IDF and GHF disputed the account given by the ministry. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for an independent investigation into the incident.
“There hasn’t been what we would consider a major incident at our distribution sites or the surrounding facility and so far it is going relatively well,” a GHF spokesperson told ABC News on Monday.
“However, we are looking for ways to improve it so we can get more meals delivered,” the spokesperson added. “We are encouraged by our operations in the first week and the fact that we were able to provide nearly six million meals in first full week.”
The U.S. consulting firm Boston Consulting Group confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday that it is no longer working with the GHF.
ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman, Morgan Winsor, Guy Davies, Diaa Ostaz and Jordana Miller contributed to this report.
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