The United Nations said that over 600 Palestinians have been killed in areas around humanitarian aid stations in Gaza since late May, and warned of the threat to food distribution operations as Israel continues its ongoing military campaign.
Ravina Shamdasani, a UN Human Rights Office spokesperson, on Friday stated that from May 26 to June 27, at least 613 individuals were killed in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) locations and humanitarian convoys. 509 of these deaths were near GHF distribution points only.
The GHF, a privately-operated program supported by the US and Israel, opened for business on May 26 after a months-long Israeli siege prevented aid and prompted famine warnings. But operations have been marred by violence, with ongoing accounts of Israelis opening fire on civilians waiting in line for rations.
Shamdasani emphasized the call for an impartial probe, citing unimpeachable accounts of Israeli shelling and firing on Palestinians attempting to reach aid. “We need access. We need accountability,” she stated, noting that verification is continuing despite serious access restrictions.
The UN and some humanitarian organizations have kept their distance from the GHF, accusing it of not being impartial and charging it with advancing Israeli military interests.
GHF chairman Johnnie Moore, a friend of former US President Donald Trump, has rejected any use of force at GHF facilities, asserting more than one million food boxes have been delivered without incident.
World Health Organization representative Rik Peeperkorn, who recently traveled to Gaza’s Nasser Medical Complex, reported crowded conditions and an increase in gunshot wounds among teenage boys and men. “The killing senselessly in Gaza has to end,” he said, noting that numerous victims had been shot in the head, neck, and chest while trying to gather aid at so-called safe areas.
The UN persists in demanding access and an accurate accounting of the fatalities involved in humanitarian distribution activities in Gaza.