A Gaza-based humanitarian foundation, which operates with the support of Israel and the United States (US), temporarily suspended food deliveries to its three distribution centers in the Gaza Strip on Monday after medical officials said dozens of Palestinians had been killed in armed attacks near those locations this week.
The foundation said it is now in talks with the Israeli military about better managing pedestrian traffic near these centers and strengthening military training procedures to promote safety.
Israeli forces admitted yesterday that they had shot at people who were walking towards a foundation distribution point in the now largely uninhabited southern town of Rafah.
Rafah is a military zone, inaccessible to the media.
Gaza medical officials, the Red Cross and the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office said 27 people were killed yesterday, blaming Israeli forces for the killings, which they said were shooting at people who were allegedly walking towards soldiers, ignoring warning shots.
The military said it was investigating reports of casualties, and described the approaching individuals as "suspects."
At least 80 people have been killed since three distribution points opened last week, hospital officials said. There were dozens of similar incidents of gunfire at the same locations on Sunday and Monday, which the Israeli military also claimed were warning shots.
UN criticizes Israel for depriving Gaza residents of means of survival
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said today that the deaths of dozens of people killed on Tuesday in the Gaza Strip while trying to access a food distribution center were "the result of deliberate decisions" by Israel.
"Yesterday alone (Tuesday) dozens of deaths were reported in hospitals after Israeli forces announced they had opened fire. This is the result of a series of deliberate choices that have systematically deprived two million people of the basic necessities of survival," Fletcher stated.
Aid centers run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) were closed today in the Palestinian territory, where roads leading to distribution points are "combat zones," the Israeli military warned.
GHF's announcement to close the centers follows a series of deadly incidents near a small number of the locations it operates.
On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in the southern Gaza Strip when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF center. The military said the incident was under investigation.
"The world witnesses, day after day, horrific scenes of the killing of Palestinians in Gaza who are simply trying to feed themselves," Fletcher said.
He reiterated UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call for independent investigations into these incidents to bring those responsible to justice.
"No one should have to risk their life to feed their children," Fletcher said.
The GHF began distributing meal packages on May 27, but the UN and major humanitarian organizations refuse to cooperate with it.
The UN has consistently demanded that Israel open crossings into the small Palestinian territory to allow the arrival of sufficient aid to meet the needs of the traumatized population.
"We need to be allowed to do our job. We have the teams, the plan, the supplies and the experience to distribute aid. Open all crossings. Let vital aid in on a large scale. Lift restrictions on the type and amount of aid we can deliver," Fletcher said.
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