Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Monday that humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip must be provided exclusively through organizations that have the capacity and will to deliver it safely and effectively. This comes after Gaza health authorities reported that dozens of Palestinians were killed on Sunday while waiting to receive food from aid distribution centers.
The organization added: "MSF teams joined the response to the mass casualty incidents at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Patients reported to our teams that they were shot at from all directions by drones, helicopters, boats, and tanks, as well as by Israeli soldiers on the ground."
Israel denied firing at Palestinians outside aid distribution centers run by the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation near the Netzarim crossing.
"Today's events (June 1) once again demonstrate the danger of the new aid distribution system and its profound lack of humanity and effectiveness," said Claire Manera, MSF's emergency coordinator. "They have resulted in avoidable civilian deaths and injuries."
The organization emphasized that "in light of displacement orders and bombing campaigns that are claiming civilian lives, using humanitarian aid as a weapon in this manner could constitute a crime against humanity."
She added, "This humanitarian catastrophe can only be alleviated with a permanent ceasefire and the immediate opening of the borders to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza."
Last week, Israeli authorities allowed a small amount of aid into Gaza after nearly three months of blockade.
The aid is being distributed through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private, US-backed organization, in four locations, three of which are in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and one in the Netzarim area in central Gaza.
The organization has been widely criticized by the international community, with claims that its methods only lead to the forced displacement of Palestinians. Its executive director resigned last month, citing its lack of independence and impartiality.
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MSF: Aid in Gaza must be distributed through competent organizations.