The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has blamed “Hamas elements” for causing a crowd crush at one of its aid sites that claimed 20 lives.
The US and Israeli-backed aid organisation confirmed that 19 Palestinians were trampled to death when crowds rushed a distribution centre, with one person fatally stabbed in the melee.
A GHF spokesperson confirmed the incident took place this morning at the foundation’s Secure Distribution Site (SDS) 3 in Khan Younis.
They said: “Our current understanding is that 19 of the victims were trampled and one was stabbed amid a chaotic and dangerous surge, driven by agitators in the crowd.
"We have credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd – armed and affiliated with Hamas – deliberately fomented the unrest.
"This horrific event follows a deeply troubling pattern in recent days. False messages about aid site openings, including at SDS4 (Wadi Gaza) and the long-closed SDS1 (Tal Sultan), have circulated widely on Telegram and other platforms, fuelling confusion, driving crowds to closed sites, and inciting disorder.
“Just last night, GHF issued a warning in Arabic via Facebook urging aid seekers to ignore these misleading messages, and to only refer to official GHF channels for updates on our operations.”
The spokesperson also confirmed that its private contractors, which manage security at the sites, identified “multiple firearms” in a crowd for the first time since it began its operations in May.
They concluded: “We mourn the lives lost today, and we remain committed to providing humanitarian aid as safely and responsibly as possible.
"GHF exists to serve the people of Gaza with compassion and integrity, and our mission has never been more urgent or more challenged."
To get more Israel news, click here to sign up for our free Israel Briefing newsletter.