Gaza Aid Chaos Continues Amid Conflicting Reports Of IDF Firing Near Aid Sites
Israeli troops fired what they called “warning shots” at people “who advanced toward the troops in such a way that they posed a threat” on Tuesday, about 500 yards from an aid distribution site in southern Gaza. The Red Cross and the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry say 27 civilians were killed and at least 160 were injured in the shooting. The U.S. and Israel have dismissed the reports that IDF troops shot at civilians as Hamas propaganda.
It follows similar incidents over the past three days where Palestinians have reportedly been killed at or near aid distribution sites. The violence comes just over a week after the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing much-needed aid to the war-torn enclave after a nearly three-month land blockade.
HOW WE GOT HERE
Amid escalating aid distribution chaos, two top executives at the foundation have resigned, and Boston Consulting Group, which helped create the initiative's business practices, has withdrawn its support.
The United Nations — which previously oversaw aid distribution in Gaza — and other humanitarian organizations have refused to join the effort, criticizing it as inadequate and politicized.
Hamas, which would often loot and sell UN aid, has also criticized the new program—and tried to create chaos around it—as it seeks to retain control of Gaza and aid.
The GHF said Tuesday that it has distributed over 7 million meals in its first eight days. However, the meals are said to be 1,750 calories — below the 2,100-calorie per day standard used by major aid organizations. Humanitarian organizations insist more needs to be done to alleviate the crisis for the majority of the 2 million-plus residents of Gaza. Only one distribution location is operational so far. Gaza is about the size of the city of Philadelphia.
REPORTING IN GAZA
Media access remains heavily restricted in Gaza by Israel, forcing reliance on local Palestinians for information and leading to wrong reports.
Recent example: The Washington Post deleted a post on X because an early version of the article the post linked to attributed information that Israeli troops had killed more than 30 people near an aid site to “health officials” without making it clear that those health officials came from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry and are not considered an unbiased source. The Post said the early version of the story “didn’t give proper weight to Israel’s denial.”
Another example: A BBC investigation found that one viral video, posted by an Al Jazeera reporter, claiming to show an Israeli strike near a Gaza aid site was actually unrelated to aid distribution and was filmed several miles away.
The issue: Since the war began, Israel has not allowed outside journalists free access inside Gaza. This has led news outlets to depend on unreliable information, often provided by Hamas, activists or other non-journalist sources, making it difficult to accurately report.
