A Gaza aid site offered a “women only” day, but it did not stop the killing. The food distribution was announced in advance, featuring illustrations of smiling Palestinians receiving boxes of aid. However, when only women were allowed to attend, chaos erupted.
Mary Sheikh al-Eid, who had seven children and was struggling to feed them after her husband’s death, attended the aid site despite warnings from her family not to go. She was shot and killed by Israeli troops, becoming one of two women known to have been killed on Thursday’s “women’s day”.
Eyewitnesses reported that the scene was chaotic, with women being sprayed with pepper spray and hit by stun grenades. The UN says over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while trying to get aid near GHF distribution sites.
A former US soldier who worked with the GHF system described the level of brutality used against a civilian population as “unprecedented”. Israel has accused Hamas of instigating chaos and disputes the number of deaths reported. The aid community has criticized the introduction of the GHF system, calling it an attempt to increase Israeli control over food distribution in Gaza.
Humanitarian officials say that Gaza must be flooded with aid to avoid a total collapse. Under international law, Israel is obligated to protect civilian life, but instead blames Hamas and aid agencies for the current shortages. The GHF distribution model has been widely condemned by European governments and aid groups.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74z4gy5g31o