The United Nations calls for an investigation into the killings of Palestinians near the aid distribution center.

 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent investigation into the killing of Palestinians near an aid distribution center in Gaza.

On Sunday (June 1), Palestinians waiting for food at the Rafah center run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) were shot at. The Red Cross said 179 people were injured, 21 of whom died. The Hamas-run Civil Defense Organization put the death toll at 31.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military denied shooting civilians near or inside the scene. It said such reports were false. The GHF said the reports were completely fabricated and that there was no evidence of an attack on or near its facilities.

In a statement on Monday, UN Secretary-General Guterres said he was shocked by the news that Palestinians were killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza on Sunday. I call for an immediate and independent investigation into this incident and for those responsible to be held accountable.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded to the Secretary-General’s remarks in a post on social media, calling them “insulting.” It also criticized him for not mentioning Hamas.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said 179 people were being treated for serious injuries at the Red Cross field hospital in Rafah, including women and children. Most of the casualties were gunshot wounds, and 21 were declared dead. All of the patients said they were trying to reach aid distribution points.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said its teams at the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis also treated seriously injured people, some of whom were in critical condition.

It added that the patients were being fired on from all sides by Israeli drones, helicopters, tanks and soldiers. The brother of one of their workers was killed while trying to collect aid from the distribution center.

A journalist in Rafah told the BBC that Palestinians had gathered near the Rafah al-Alam roundabout near the GHF site when Israeli tanks approached and opened fire. A video posted online on Sunday morning showed Palestinians hiding in an open area in the sand and the sound of automatic gunfire could be heard. However, the BBC was unable to verify the location because there were not enough visible markings.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement on Sunday afternoon saying that initial investigations indicated that its soldiers had not opened fire. The attacks targeted civilians near or inside the humanitarian aid distribution center and that such reports were false. Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Differin accused Hamas of spreading rumors and of making clear and violent attempts to prevent the people of Gaza from reaching those distribution centers.