Gaza Aid Crisis: Violence Erupts at Distribution⁢ Sites

⁣ ‌ updated June 15, 2025

Gaza residents are facing increasingly desperate⁢ conditions as violence disrupts aid distribution. ⁢Reports indicate that Israeli‍ forces⁣ and teh ​Gaza Humanitarian Foundation‌ (GHF) are under scrutiny following incidents at aid sites.

On May 27, ⁣thousands of Gazans stormed a GHF‍ aid site in ​Rafah, ‌near ‍the Egyptian⁤ border, prompting workers to‌ withdraw.Witnesses reported that Israeli soldiers and tanks opened fire.Saleem al-Ghandour, a Gaza resident, said he saw Israeli ⁣forces ⁢firing on aid ⁣seekers at a Netzarim Corridor site June 1.No aid was ⁤distributed that day,⁣ he said.

Mohammad​ Salem, a ‌father of five, is recovering‍ from a gunshot wound he sustained while seeking aid in Rafah. He told reporters from his hospital bed that desperation drove him to the site. A 24-year-old law graduate, who requested anonymity, corroborated the account, saying gunfire came from multiple directions.

The GHF disputed reports of the May 27 ⁣incident but did⁣ not provide further details. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said troops‍ fired warning shots outside the compound. regarding the June 1 incidents, the IDF stated it “did not fire at civilians” but fired ​”warning shots toward⁤ several suspects” about‍ a kilometer away, without ‌specifying ‍the location.

Families are struggling to‍ survive on meager rations. One‍ family reported eating ⁤only white rice for weeks. Another family is ‍subsisting on rancid ⁢flour, using masks to⁤ cope ‌with ⁢the smell while baking bread.

the ongoing conflict has severely impacted Gaza’s infrastructure. most of Gaza’s‍ cattle have⁤ been⁤ killed, and farmland has been damaged⁤ or destroyed. ⁢While prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed ‌Israel sent 92,000 aid trucks ⁣into Gaza since Oct. 7, much of the aid⁢ comes from the international community. Humanitarian organizations say the amount is far below what is ​needed.

Maram and ‌her husband,⁤ who live in Syracuse, N.Y., communicate with ​family in Gaza via video calls, learning of the worsening conditions. One sister reported that her son,Abdullah,24,was ‌killed by an Israeli quadcopter ‌bomb while gathering mint and zucchini. Another nephew,⁤ Mostafa, 21, was severely ‌injured in the same attack.

Aunt Iman, Maram’s‍ mother, is living in a tent ⁢in ⁣Gaza City, burning asphalt ‍to cook food ⁤due to the⁣ lack of ⁢wood‌ and paper.

“We let⁤ ourselves ​imagine there is salad and some ⁤chicken and pickles as we chew ‍the rice.”⁣ – Uncle ⁤Jaleel, Gaza resident

What’s next

The international community is calling for increased aid and safer distribution methods to alleviate the suffering⁢ of Gazan civilians. Further investigations into the incidents at aid sites are expected.