20 Palestinians Killed Allegedly Trampled In Gaza Aid Distribution Location

Bad luck UNICEF/Eyad El Baba/People gather around the food distribution by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

JAKARTA - It was reported that 20 Palestinians died on Wednesday at the distribution site managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

The United Nations Human Rights Office (UNHCR) said it had documented at least 875 deaths over the past six weeks near sites and aid convoys in Gaza, mostly near the GHF distribution point.

The GHF, backed by Israel, said 19 people were trampled on and one person was stabbed to death during a raid at one of the aid distribution centers in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

"We have credible reasons to believe that the elements in the armed and affiliated crowd with Hamas intentionally sparked riots," GHF said in a report by Reuters on Wednesday, July 16.

There has been no immediate comment from Hamas.

Palestinian health officials told Reuters 20 people died from shortness of breath at the scene. A medic said many people were crammed into a narrow and squeezed space.

The GHF, which began distributing food packages in late May after Israel lifted an 11-week blockade on humanitarian supplies, previously rejecting UN criticism, accusing it of spreading misinformation.

The United Nations called the GHF model "inherently unsafe" and violated humanitarian imparity standards.

The GHF operates outside the UN-coordinated aid system and uses US private security and logistics contractors to deliver approximations that Israel says reduce the risk of Hamas looting. But Hamas denied the Israeli tudihan.