At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded on Sunday in shooting near food distribution points in Gaza, as residents described an escalation of Israeli attacks happening against the backdrop of the new war with Iran.
Although Israel has said Gaza is a secondary theatre of operations to Iran, Palestinians reported continuing serious violence including fire around US- and Israel-supported aid distributions points and there are fears that global attention is moving on from Gaza.
“There were wounded, dead, and martyrs,” Ahmed al-Masri told the Associated Press on Sunday as he returned empty-handed from one of the sites. “It’s a trap.”
Umm Hosni al-Najjar said she joined the crowd heading to the aid point in Rafah’s Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood at about 4.30am. She said the shooting began as people were advancing to the site a few minutes after her arrival.
The latest killings of Palestinians near the aid distributions managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) took place as Tom Fletcher, the UN’s under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, warned about the foundation’s operations.
He said: “Hunger must never be met with bullets. Humanitarians must be allowed to do their work. Life-saving aid must reach people in need, in line with humanitarian principles.”
“Without immediate and massively scaled-up access to the basic means survival, we risk a descent into famine, further chaos and the loss of more lives,” he said.
There have been near-daily shootings near the sites since they opened last month. Witnesses say Israeli forces have fired repeatedly on the crowds and health officials say scores of people have been killed. The military has acknowledged firing warning shots at what it says were suspects approaching its forces.
In the latest incident, Palestinians said Israeli forces opened fire at about dawn towards crowds of Palestinians heading to two aid sites in Rafah.
The attacks in Gaza are taking place as concern mounts that the territory is being forgotten.
Thirty-two-year-old Mahmoud Abu Haloub, who has been displaced six times during the war, told the Guardian that the situation in Gaza had worsened since the outbreak of hostilities with Iran last week.
He said: “The number of aid trucks has decreased, and there is now greater danger for those who go to receive aid. The Israeli army has become more deadly than before, launching shells and bombs that kill many, without anyone talking about these massacres.”
Mohammed Zuhair, from the Beit Lahiya area, said: “The world’s shift of attention toward what is happening with Iran is a disaster for the people of Gaza, especially amid the current famine.
“The focus on the Palestinian cause has diminished, and the world has forgotten about us. Our issue has been pushed to the margins while we live through a suffocating crisis under Israeli aggression, blockade, and a lack of food and medicine.”
Maryam Al-Shafie, a 65-year-old widow and mother of a family of 12, said: “Yesterday, my grandson went to the aid trucks but came back with nothing. It was his first time, and we won’t let him go again after the massacre took place, and many were killed.
“Since the events between Iran and Israel began, it has been a catastrophe for us. The situation has become even more unbearable. We expected the pressure on Gaza to ease, but it only worsened. No one talks about it – all the news is about what’s happening in Iran.”
Experts and aid workers say Israel’s blockade and military campaign have caused widespread hunger and raised the risk of famine.
The shooting happened hundreds of metres away from the sites, which are operated by the GHF, a group that Israel and the US hope will replace the UN-run system of aid distribution.
The UN has rejected the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles.
The aid system rolled out last month has been marred by chaos and violence, while the UN system has struggled to deliver food because of Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of law and order, despite Israel loosening a total blockade it imposed from early March to mid-May.
The GHF said there had been no violence in or around the distribution points. It has warned people to stay on the designated routes and recently paused delivery to discuss safety measures with the military.
Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
