Arabic-language media reported that IDF helicopters opened fire at the aid hubs. The Israeli army denied that any aerial fire at the aid centers took place, saying troops fired warning shots in the vicinity of the compound. One Gazan resident who visited one of the aid distribution centers told Haaretz that no identification was needed to enter the center's compound or to receive aid packages – a process that left many leaving empty-handed.
"I am a 50-year-old father of five. I wasn't able to stand amongst the crowds, and I returned with nothing," he said. According to him, the "mass amount of people who arrived created an unbearable situation."
Another eyewitness in Rafah told Haaretz that thousands have been arriving to receive aid, along a route determined by the army. He described a heavy military presence surrounding the distribution point and claimed that anyone who deviates from the path is shot.
According to the source, in the plans preceding the opening of the area, there were rules of engagement that, in his view, could have led to disaster.
"They treated it like a routine situation involving suspects entering a combat zone, but you can't direct a population of that scale with gunfire if you want them to feel safe reaching the areas you've opened," he said.
The source said that that military's original idea to direct crowds using gunfire suggests that "they didn't think and didn't plan" to use other means like fencing off the area and clear control of the area. "These are territories the IDF controls, it's not a problem to do this if the proper resources were allocated timely," the source said.
According to him, thanks to the delay in the public's arrival – a result of the siege imposed by Hamas – the military had enough time to reinforce preparations around the humanitarian zones.
Earlier this month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued sharp criticism of the aid plan. A document prepared by the office warned that this delivery method will significantly reduce current humanitarian operations at a time of immense need.
The document noted that at the moment there are approximately 400 aid distribution points across Gaza, and the proposed model would drastically reduce the scale, increasing the risk that large segments of the population will be left without food or other essential supplies.
It also warned that under the plan, "many displaced people will have to walk long distances carrying loads of around 20 kilograms. In the current conditions, this burden will fall especially hard on women, the elderly and the wounded."
https://archive.is/wmtiB]
400 distribution centers reduced to 4. What could be wrong with that?
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