Dozens injured after gunfire at aid hub in Gaza

At least 47 Palestinians have been injured – mostly by gunfire – when a crowd overwhelmed an aid hub in Gaza, according to a UN official.

Gaza’s Hamas-run government media office said that three people had been killed during the incident in Rafah, in the south of the enclave. It said that seven others remained missing.

There have been conflicting reports from other local authorities on the number of dead.

On Tuesday, crowds of Palestinians gathered at a new aid distribution hub set up by a US and Israeli-backed foundation.

People broke through fences at the hub run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has been slated by Israel to take over aid operations.

Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Palestinian territories, said it appeared that Israeli army fire had caused most of the injuries.

Speaking from Switzerland, Mr Sunghay said: “The information that we have is that about 47 people have been injured, it is through gunshots.

“We’re still gathering information, the numbers could go up.

“What we know is that it was shooting from the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces]. But again, this is a job we are continuing to do at this time.”

The Associated Press reported hearing Israeli tank and gunfire and witnessing a military helicopter firing flares.

The GHF said its military contractors did not fire on the crowd but “fell back” before later resuming operations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that there had been “some loss of control momentarily” at the hub, but “happily, we brought it under control.”

He repeated Israel’s plans to relocate Gaza’s entire population to a “sterile zone” at the southern end of the territory while Israel fights Hamas elsewhere.

‘Teaspoon’ of aid

Palestinians have become desperate for food after nearly three months of an Israeli blockade which has pushed Gaza to the brink of famine.

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said last week Israel had only authorised for Gaza what amounts to a “teaspoon” of aid and more people will die unless there is “rapid, reliable, safe and sustained aid access”.

The UN and other humanitarian organisations have rejected the new aid system.

They have warned that it will not be able to meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and allows Israel to use food as a weapon to control the population.

The GHF has established four hubs, two of which are said to be operational. They are guarded by private security contractors.

Israel said it has established the new aid system to stop Hamas from siphoning off supplies.

It has provided no evidence of systematic diversion, and UN agencies have said they have mechanisms in place to prevent this.

Sanaa airstrikes

Elsewhere in the region, Israel said it had carried out airstrikes on the international airport in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.

It came after Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired several missiles at the country in recent days.

Israel last struck the airport on 6 May. During that attack, it destroyed the airport’s terminal and left its runway riddled with craters.

Some flights resumed to Sanaa on 17 May.