One killed, 48 injured by Israeli gunfire at aid site in Gaza
World
Israeli army fire caused most of the injuries, US official said
(AFP) - At least one Palestinian was killed and 48 were injured, mostly by gunfire, when a crowd gathered at a new aid distribution point set up by a US and Israeli-backed foundation, the Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday.
Crowds of Palestinians broke through the fences around the distribution site on Tuesday, and an Associated Press journalist heard Israeli tank and gun fire, and saw a military helicopter firing flares.
Israeli army fire caused most of the injuries, Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Palestinian territories, told reporters in Geneva.
The distribution hub outside Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah was opened the day before by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been slated by Israel to take over aid operations.
The UN and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new system, saying it won’t be able to meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and allows Israel to use food as a weapon to control the population. They have also warned of the risk of friction between Israeli troops and people seeking supplies.
The new aid model is a "waste of resources" and a "distraction from atrocities" that are happening in Gaza, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on Wednesday.
"We already have an aid distribution system that is fit for purpose," Lazzarini said in Japan.
"The humanitarian community in Gaza, including UNRWA, is ready. We have the experience and expertise to reach people in need," he said. "Meanwhile, the clock is ticking towards famine, so humanitarian (work) must be allowed to do its life-saving work now," he added.
