MSF Criticizes GHF Aid Distribution in Rafah
MSF sharply condemns the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) aid distribution following casualties in Rafah. The medical association reports that patients, wounded by gunfire at a Gaza aid site, described being shot from all directions. MSF’s emergency coordinator labeled the GHF system “dehumanizing, perilous, and severely ineffective.” Gaza officials report dozens dead and scores injured. The Israeli military denies its troops fired at civilians, while the GHF calls the accusations “false reports.” News Directory 3 is closely following this developing story, bringing you the latest. What actions will humanitarian organizations take to ensure the safety of civilians? Find out more as this story unfolds…
MSF criticizes Gaza aid distribution system after Rafah casualties
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has challenged claims by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and Israel regarding a recent aid distribution event in Rafah. The association stated Sunday that patients treated at a GHF-operated site reported being shot at by Israeli forces.
According to MSF, injured individuals described being fired upon from multiple directions. “Patients told MSF that they were shot at from all sides by drones, helicopters, boats, tanks and Israeli soldiers on the ground,” the organization said in a statement.
Claire Manera, MSF emergency coordinator, described the GHF aid distribution system as ”dehumanizing, dangerous and severely ineffective.” She added, “It has led to deaths and injuries of civilians that could have been avoided. Humanitarian assistance must be provided solely by humanitarian organizations that have the competence and the commitment to do it safely and effectively.”
Nour Alsaqa, an MSF spokesperson, noted that the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younès was overwhelmed with patients, primarily men, suffering from visible gunshot wounds to their limbs.
“Patients told MSF that they were shot at from all sides by drones,helicopters,boats,tanks and Israeli soldiers on the ground.”
MSF statement
Mansour Sami Abdi, an injured man, told MSF that people fought over a mere five aid pallets. ”They told us to take food, then they shot from everywhere,” he said. “This is not aid. It’s a lie.”
Gaza’s civil defense reported that Israeli fire targeted individuals approaching a GHF aid center in the Rafah Governorate,resulting in at least 31 fatalities and over 176 injuries.
The Israeli military stated that a preliminary investigation indicated its troops “did not fire at civilians as they were near or on the site of the humanitarian aid distribution.”
A GHF spokesperson claimed that “these false reports have been actively fomented by Hamas,” the Palestinian Islamist movement that Israel has vowed to destroy in Gaza.
What’s next
Investigations into the incident are ongoing, with international organizations calling for transparency and accountability in aid distribution processes to ensure the safety of civilians in Gaza.