The United Nations and humanitarian aid organizations have condemned a U.S.-Israeli-backed aid initiative after three Palestinians were killed and dozens injured by Israeli fire at an aid distribution center in southern Gaza.
Chaotic scenes erupted on Tuesday in Rafah as starving Palestinians rushed into a facility holding humanitarian supplies, amid long delays caused by security checks on aid recipients.
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the images from the aid center set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) were “heartbreaking, to say the least.”
“We and our partners have a detailed, principled, operationally sound plan - supported by member states - to get aid to a desperate population,” Dujarric told reporters.
He emphasized the urgent need for expanded humanitarian efforts, saying, “We continue to stress that a meaningful scale-up of humanitarian operations is essential to stave off famine and meet the needs of all civilians, wherever they are.”
Dujarric also underscored that aid distribution must be conducted in a manner that is independent and impartial.
9341**4353