THIS is the harrowing moment thousands of Gazan people overrun an aid site just hours after it opened.
People who were in need of food allegedly breached the fences surrounding the compound to access the humanitarian assistance. It was reported that the IDF used gunfire to scatter the crowd.
According to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is supported by the United States, the number of individuals seeking aid at their distribution center was so overwhelming that their team had to step back at one point to ensure that people could receive aid safely and disperse to prevent any injuries.
It added that “Gazans experienced several hour delays in accessing the site due to blockades imposed by Hamas”.
The Foundation later said that control had been gained of the situation and food distribution was resumed.
It has so far distributed about 8,000 food boxes, totalling 462,000 meals.
Videos have emerged capturing the sight of thousands of Palestinians urgently rushing to receive aid at a recently established distribution location in Rafah, located in southern Gaza.
Lines of people walking through a wired off corridor and into a large open field where aid was stacked were seen in the unconfirmed video.
Later, images shared on social media showed large parts of the fence torn down as people desperately pushed their way onto the site.
Unconfirmed reports claim the IDF opened fire in the general area to disperse the crowds.
The Hamas-run government media office said in a statement: “What happened today is conclusive evidence of the occupation’s failure to manage the humanitarian crisis it deliberately created through a policy of starvation, siege, and bombing.”
The content of the packages included rice, flour, canned beans, pasta, olive oil, biscuits and sugar, according to recipients who showed the content of the packages.
Israel imposed the blockade in early March after accusing Hamas of stealing supplies and using them to entrench its position, with the group denying the accusations.
Israeli officials said one of the advantages of the new aid system is the opportunity to screen recipients to exclude anyone found to be connected with Hamas.
Humanitarian groups briefed on the foundation’s plans say anyone accessing aid will have to submit to facial recognition technology.
Details of exactly how the system will operate have not been made public.
Israel makes extensive use of facial recognition and other forms of biometric identification in the occupied West Bank and has been reported by Israeli and international media to be using such techniques in Gaza as well.
It comes after Israel turned on British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer by accusing him of “emboldening Hamas” after the UK demanded an end to their military offensive in Gaza and restrictions to aid last week.
Benjamin Netanyahu took aim at the Prime Minister along with Canada and France saying they were on the side of “mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers”.
The allies said earlier this week that they will take “concrete actions” unless Netanyahu changes course and saying Israel was risking breaking international law.
