Violence at Food Distribution Points Sparks Outrage in Gaza
Days in Gaza are already hard enough, but July 19, 2025, brought levels of chaos few there have seen before. As the sun beat down on southern Gaza, thousands of Palestinians gathered, hungry and desperate, outside food distribution sites managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF). But instead of relief, the crowd encountered tanks, snipers, and gunfire. By the end of the day, at least 32 people were dead, and 70 lay wounded, according to officials at Nasser Hospital and eyewitnesses on the ground.
Survivors later recalled a scene that would stick in their minds forever. "We were holding up bags of rice and bread, hoping the soldiers would see we just wanted food," said Jamal, a father in his thirties. "But then the shooting started. People scattered, shouting, and then I saw someone collapse just ahead of me." His account matches the kind of chaos and panic families have come to expect in a place where even aid distribution can turn deadly.
Conflicting Stories: Guards, Gunfire, and a Humanitarian Mess
The GHF, set up with the blessing of both the U.S. and Israeli governments, was meant to be a workaround—a way to deliver food while avoiding the UN-led system, which Israel accuses Hamas of exploiting. Since late May, the fund says millions of meals have reached Gazans thanks to their private security and heavily managed process.
The latest events, though, make those claims look shaky. Witnesses at the southern sites reported Israeli forces not just firing warning shots but actively using lethal force, with snipers and tanks hemming people in as they tried to reach the food. One resident described seeing tanks "move right up to the crowds," blocking paths and firing after brief warnings. The Israeli military, for its part, has so far stayed silent, but its ongoing stance is that only remote security is provided and that GHF sites themselves are never directly targeted.
News of the incident quickly spread, soon followed by details of another deadly event—a separate airstrike in the north, close to more GHF hubs in Gaza City. This strike killed 18. Together, these numbers add fresh weight to accusations from Gazans and aid workers that the new distribution system isn’t reducing risk but adding confusion and new dangers. Some point out that swapping the UN for the GHF has done little to change the daily reality of food shortages and violence, and corruption accusations against the old system now seem almost irrelevant against scenes of mass shootings at aid points.
Notably, the GHF—which uses private armed guards to secure sites—continues to insist that none of its staff or sites have seen fatal violence, suggesting that Thursday’s bloodshed unfolded on the approach or periphery. But for Gazans who set out in search of food, that’s a technicality they can’t afford to care about. "We have nothing left to eat," said another survivor, "and now even food lines are deadly."
The violence at Gaza’s food distribution points lays bare just how unstable the situation remains. As international arguments over aid and security continue, the facts on the ground grow only grimmer. Hunger, confusion, and the threat of sudden violence are still shaping ordinary life for everyone in Gaza.