The United Nations (UN) said on Friday, July 4, that 613 people were killed during aid distribution in Gaza since the end of May, including 509 near the Sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by the United States and Israel.
The GHF began to distribute food products on May 26, after a blockade of more than two months imposed by Israel at the entrance to any humanitarian aid and despite the risk of famine. GHF’s distributions have given rise to chaotic scenes, the Israeli army that has fired several times on hundreds of desperate Palestinians.
“We recorded 613” people killed since the start of the foundation operations until June 27, including 509 “Near GHF distribution places”said a spokesperson for the UN Human High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, during a press briefing in Geneva. The other people were killed “Close to the convoys of the UN and other organizations”she added. She explained that these figures were constantly evolving because the High Commission has received since new notifications of people killed “That we strive to corroborate”. The task is difficult due to the lack of access to the sites.
Request for an independent investigation
“With regard to officials, it is clear that the Israeli army bombed and shot the Palestinians who were trying to reach the distribution points. How many people killed? Who is responsible? »» questioned mme The candle. “We need access. We need an independent investigation ”she insisted.
The UN and the main aid organizations refused to work with GHF, saying that it served Israeli military objectives and violated basic humanitarian principles. The Foundation, which uses armed contract workers to ensure the safety of its centers, denies any incident “Nearby” of its four distribution sites. “We have had no violent incident on our distribution sites”at “In the immediate vicinity”said on Thursday to the press, its president, Johnnie Moore, an American Christian evangelical ally of President Donald Trump.
Israel, whose offensive began the day after Hamas on October 7, 2023, imposed a humanitarian blockade in the Palestinian territory. This blockade has led to very serious shortages of food, drugs and other basic necessities, and was only partially relaxed when the GHF began its distributions.
Corrective on July 4 at 4:15 p.m. : Contrary to what was initially written the balance sheet of people killed since the start of operations of the GHF Foundation extends until June 27.
