Chaos erupts at Rafah aid distribution site

Chaos erupted Tuesday at a newly opened aid distribution center outside Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, as thousands of desperate Palestinians overwhelmed the facility, breaking through fences in a frantic attempt to secure food.

The center, run by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), had begun operations just a day earlier amid growing criticism from international humanitarian organizations and the United Nations, which have raised concerns about the group’s independence and its ability to operate effectively in a war zone.

The Israeli military confirmed that its troops, stationed nearby, fired warning shots as the situation escalated.

“Control over the situation was established,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

Local reports indicated at least three Palestinians were injured during the disorder.

Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene of hunger and panic. “People were shouting, climbing over each other.

The fences couldn’t hold anyone back,” said Khalil Abu Taha, a father of five who said he walked more than six miles from a coastal displacement camp.

With Gaza entering its third month under near-total blockade, humanitarian conditions have worsened dramatically. Aid deliveries have slowed to a trickle, and international agencies have repeatedly warned that famine is imminent.

On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children, many gaunt from hunger, streamed from tent camps along Gaza’s battered coastline to the new GHF hub. With food supplies dwindling and prices soaring, the center had become a last hope for survival.

The GHF was set up with U.S. support as an alternative to existing aid mechanisms, which Israel has criticized for alleged links to Hamas. But the move has drawn skepticism from UN officials and seasoned humanitarian workers, who say bypassing established systems could backfire.

“This tragedy underscores the urgency of a coordinated and impartial humanitarian response,” said a senior UN relief official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“Creating parallel structures under military pressure is not a sustainable or humane solution.”