A U.S.- and Israeli-backed aid group suspended food distribution in Gaza on Wednesday after dozens of Palestinians were killed in a series of shootings near aid centers.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said all sites would close for one day to “improve” operations. It said talks are ongoing with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to improve civilian safety and guidance near aid routes.
The move came after Gaza health officials, the Red Cross, and the U.N. rights office reported that 27 people were killed at a GHF site in Rafah on Tuesday, with witnesses blaming Israeli forces.
The Israeli military denied targeting civilians but confirmed firing warning shots at individuals who ignored warnings and approached its personnel. It also said it is investigating the reports of casualties.
According to hospital officials cited by the Associated Press, at least 80 people have been killed near the aid sites since they opened last week. Israel has not confirmed these casualty figures.
Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin on Tuesday accused Hamas of making “exaggerated” claims about incidents near aid distribution sites. “This week, it was claimed that the IDF fired on civilians at the aid distribution site. This is a totally false report, it echoes Hamas propaganda,” Defrin said.
GHF has denied any violence at the sites but acknowledges the risks people face when traveling to them on foot.
GHF said it asked Israel’s military, the IDF to “introduce measures that guide foot traffic in a way that minimizes confusion or escalation risks near IDF military perimeters; develop clearer IDF-issued guidance to help the population transit safely; enhance IDF force training and refine internal IDF procedures to support safety.”
After GHF suspended its operations, the Israeli military declared that roads leading to Gaza’s aid distribution centers would be treated as “combat zones.”
Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesman, said in a post on X on Tuesday that Palestinians would be “prohibited” from entering the aid centers and using the roads leading to them throughout Wednesday.
Since beginning aid distribution in Gaza on May 27, GHF claims to have delivered 7 million meals to Palestinians. Their operations are expected to resume on Thursday.
