Nineteen individuals died from being trampled, and one person was stabbed in a “chaotic and dangerous surge” on Wednesday morning, as stated by GHF in a press release. They did not respond to queries about the use of pepper spray or teargas by their staff at the site near Khan Younis.
Fifteen deaths were attributed to suffocation resulting from teargas being fired at the crowd, according to the Gaza health ministry. Dr. Mohammed Zaqqout, the director of hospitals for Gaza, explained that the victims arrived at the hospital already deceased, showing symptoms of oxygen deprivation such as blue marks and vomiting.
Mohammad, the 20-year-old nephew of Abdel Ghani Rouqa, was among the fatalities. Rouqa noted that the food distribution site lacked basic supplies, forcing desperate people to risk their safety for food. He described how the Israeli army’s restriction of the area and use of teargas canisters among the crowd led to panic and a fatal stampede.
GHF contested the accounts from relatives and health authorities, blaming Hamas for the incident. Chapin Fay, a GHF spokesperson, claimed that the incident was a calculated provocation by Hamas and accused the group of attempting to sabotage their operations. Fay also mentioned that some crowd members were armed and that a GHF worker, a medical professional, was stabbed.
Despite the GHF’s claims, Fay stated that no teargas was used, only pepper spray, which was used to protect against further loss of life. He also stated that warning shots were fired to disperse the crowd after a child was in danger of being crushed, and the worker managed to save the child.
The organization stated that the deaths were a result of a surge caused by armed Hamas agitators infiltrating the crowd. Fay clarified that the 19 victims likely died from compressive asphyxia due to being trampled.
This grim event marks a somber moment for Palestinians, where Israeli attacks have already claimed over 58,000 lives, mainly civilians. The incident highlights the risks citizens face in a territory where hunger is rampant, and access to food is highly contested.
GHF, a relatively inexperienced organization in distributing food in conflict zones, claims no responsibility for deaths outside its perimeters. The organization operates only four sites to feed 2 million people, a system criticized for its inadequacy and the risk of fatalities it poses. In contrast, the UN and international humanitarian organizations previously operated over 400 aid distribution points.
Israeli authorities argued for a new aid system, claiming that Hamas was diverting aid, yet failed to provide evidence to support this claim.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/16/palestinians-killed-food-distribution-site-gaza
