UN chief calls for investigation after deadly shooting near aid center

BEIRUT — On Monday, the U.N. Secretary-General called for an independent investigation after at least 31 people were killed by gunfire near a humanitarian aid center in Gaza the day before. Rescuers blamed the Israeli military, which denied any involvement.

According to the Civil Defense, Israeli gunfire killed at least 31 people and injured 176 near a food aid distribution center in the Rafah governorate in southern Gaza Strip. AFP photos show civilians carrying bodies at the site, and doctors at nearby hospitals reported a surge of bullet-injured individuals.

In a nearly 20-month conflict in Gaza against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel, the military denied firing on civilians near or inside the site managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by the United States and Israel. A GHF spokesperson denied any incident, denouncing the reports as "false and fabricated."

“Appalled”

“I am appalled by reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday. “It is unacceptable that Palestinians risk their lives to obtain food,” he added in a statement, without assigning responsibility for the deaths. “I call for an immediate independent investigation into these events and that those responsible be held accountable,” he further said.

Officially a private company with opaque funding, the GHF claims to have distributed millions of meals since its operations began at the end of May, yet its deployment has been marked by chaotic scenes and reports of victims from Israeli gunfire near distribution centers.

The U.N. has refused to work with this organization due to concerns about its procedures and neutrality, with some humanitarian aid agencies suggesting it appears to have been designed to meet Israeli military objectives.

Israel is facing increasing international pressure to end the war in the bombed-out Palestinian territory, beset by a catastrophic humanitarian situation. It imposed a full blockade for over two months, partially eased at the end of May.

On Sunday, Gazans interviewed by AFP described scenes of “chaos” and Israeli military gunfire near the aid distribution site.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported treating people targeted by gunfire at the site, describing the GHF's distribution system as “dehumanizing, dangerous, and totally ineffective.”

Risk of famine

The Israeli military stated that a preliminary investigation revealed that its soldiers had “not fired on civilians who were near or inside the site.” Army spokesperson Effie Defrin said in a video message that “Hamas is doing its best, all it can, to prevent us” from distributing aid and pledged to “investigate each of these allegations” against the Israeli troops.

According to the U.N., the entire territory's population faces the risk of famine. Recently, the United Nations reported incidents where humanitarian aid was looted, notably by armed individuals.

The Civil Defense announced 14 people were killed Monday in an Israeli bombing of a residence in Jabalia, northern Gaza.

On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the army to move forward in the Gaza Strip, “regardless of any negotiations,” to increase pressure on Hamas to release hostages.

Of the 251 people kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, in Israel, 57 are still held in Gaza, with at least 34 of them dead, according to Israeli authorities.

Negotiations for a cease-fire and an agreement for the release of hostages have not yet succeeded, and Israel ended a two-month truce on March 18.