Contradictory Reports Surface Over Incident Near Gaza Relief Point

TDT | Manama

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Conflicting accounts have surfaced following a reported deadly incident near an aid distribution site in Gaza, with Palestinian health authorities and a US-backed aid group offering starkly different narratives. According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, at least 31 people were killed and over 150 others injured after Israeli tanks allegedly opened fire near an aid centre in Rafah. Medical staff at the Red Cross hospital in the area confirmed receiving numerous casualties, all with gunshot wounds. “It’s absolute carnage here,” said a British doctor working at a Gaza hospital. However, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—a US and Israel-backed group operating aid distribution points in the region—has denied the claims. “All aid was distributed today without incident,” a spokesperson said, dismissing the casualty reports as “untrue and fabricated.” The organisation blamed Hamas for allegedly spreading misinformation. The Israeli military stated that it is unaware of any injuries caused by its fire within the aid distribution zone. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes have continued across central and northern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they are actively targeting "terrorist infrastructure" throughout the Strip. Israel’s military campaign resumed on 18 March after the collapse of a ceasefire brokered by the US, Qatar, and Egypt. The truce had temporarily paused hostilities that began following Hamas’s cross-border assault on 7 October 2023, which left around 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage. Since the outbreak of war, at least 54,418 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.