Thousands of Gazans broke into the aid distribution complex in Gaza; IDF helicopters fired warning shots to disperse the crowd and the American personnel withdrew.
On Tuesday, a significant disturbance occurred at a humanitarian aid distribution center in the Gaza Strip when thousands of Gazan civilians breached the facility. In response, IDF helicopters fired warning shots to disperse the crowd. Reports from Gaza indicate that the center was destroyed and its contents looted.
The IDF later stated, “The IDF did not carry out any aerial fire toward the humanitarian aid distribution center in the Rafah area. IDF troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound. Control over the situation was established, food distribution operations are expected to continue as planned, and the safety of IDF troops was not compromised.”
Following the incident, personnel from the American civilian company responsible for securing the center withdrew, leading to an immediate suspension of operations at the site.
The new distribution centers were established as part of a US-led initiative aimed at providing direct aid to Gazan civilians while preventing Hamas from controlling the aid.
Two of the four centers, located in the Tel al-Sultan area and along the Morag Corridor in Rafah, commenced operations on the same day, distributing food packages to thousands of families.
The establishment of these centers was coordinated over recent months through collaboration between Israeli political leadership, the U.S. administration, and with support from the IDF’s Southern Command and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).
