The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, has criticised the newly introduced US-backed aid model in Gaza, calling it a “distraction from atrocities” occurring in the enclave. His comments follow chaotic scenes at an aid distribution centre in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Tuesday.
Thousands of Palestinians scaled fences to access food aid provided by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a group recently backed by Israel and the United States. Gaza’s health ministry said one person was killed and dozens injured, while the UN human rights office reported 47 people were wounded, mainly by Israeli gunfire.
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The Israeli military said its forces had only fired warning shots and blamed the disorder on crowd pressure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged a temporary “loss of control”, although military officials described the distribution effort as a success.
Critics, including international aid groups and the UN, have boycotted the GHF, accusing it of bypassing established humanitarian protocols and aiding Israel’s military objectives. Since the easing of an 11-week blockade, GHF claims to have distributed over 8,000 food boxes, amounting to nearly half a million meals.
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