UN says 47 wounded in Gaza as crowd overwhelms controversial aid hub

A United Nations official confirmed on Wednesday that at least 47 Palestinians were injured—most of them by gunfire—when a large crowd surged into a newly established aid distribution center in Gaza. The facility, supported by both the United States and Israel, has been at the center of growing controversy.

Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Palestinian territories, told reporters in Geneva that evidence suggests Israeli army fire was responsible for most of the injuries.

The incident occurred on Tuesday near Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city. According to eyewitness accounts, including a journalist from the Associated Press, the scene turned chaotic as crowds breached the aid site's perimeter fences. Gunfire from Israeli tanks and helicopters was reported, along with flares fired from a military aircraft.

The aid center was set up just a day earlier by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed organization intended to take over the distribution of humanitarian relief in the region. However, major international relief agencies and the United Nations have rejected the new system, warning that it is inadequate for serving Gaza's 2.3 million residents and could be used as a tool of control by Israel.

After nearly three months of Israeli-imposed border closures, Gaza is teetering on the edge of famine, leaving residents desperate for food and essentials.

While Israel has argued that the new distribution network is intended to prevent Hamas from diverting aid, it has yet to provide evidence of such diversion on a large scale. UN agencies maintain they already have monitoring mechanisms in place to prevent misuse.

GHF reported that it has established four distribution hubs so far, with two currently operational. The aid centers are secured by private contractors and are surrounded by fences and sand berms, giving them a fortified, militarized appearance. GHF stated that its contractors did not open fire during the incident, but temporarily withdrew for safety before resuming operations.

Nearby, Israeli military forces are stationed in the Morag corridor, a declared military zone that separates Rafah—now largely depopulated—from the rest of Gaza.

The UN and other humanitarian organizations have strongly criticized the GHF-led aid model, arguing that it violates key humanitarian principles. They also warn it could lead to forced displacement, as Palestinians may be compelled to move closer to aid sites or risk starvation—an act that would breach international humanitarian law.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the loss of control at the Rafah aid center, but insisted that the situation was quickly stabilized. He reiterated Israel's broader plan to relocate the entire population of Gaza to what he called a "sterile zone" in the south, while military operations continue elsewhere.

Throughout the conflict, international aid agencies have led large-scale efforts to deliver food, medicine, and essential supplies across Gaza. Although Israel claims GHF will eventually replace these networks, only limited aid has been allowed into the territory over the past week for UN distribution.