Five killed in Gaza aid delivery chaos

Five people were killed, and dozens were injured due to gunfire and stampedes during the distribution of aid at dawn on Saturday in the northern Gaza Strip, threatened by an imminent famine, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

Video footage from Agence France-Presse showed a convoy of trucks moving quickly past burning trash near a distribution point in the darkness before dawn, with people screaming and gunfire heard, some of which were warning shots, according to eyewitnesses.

According to the Red Crescent, the incident occurred after thousands of people gathered, awaiting the arrival of around 15 trucks carrying flour and other food supplies. The trucks were supposed to be delivered to the Kuwait Roundabout in the city of Gaza in the northern part of the Strip.

The Kuwait Roundabout has witnessed many incidents during distribution operations marked by chaos, leading to casualties, such as the incident that occurred on March 23 when Hamas accused the Israeli army of firing at a crowd waiting for aid and killing 21 people, a claim denied by the Israeli army.

The Red Crescent stated that three of the five fatalities who fell early Saturday morning died as a result of gunfire.

Eyewitnesses told Agence France-Presse that Gaza residents who were overseeing the distribution of aid fired shots into the air, but Israeli forces in the area also opened fire, and some trucks struck individuals attempting to obtain food supplies.

AFP