27 reportedly killed in third day of violence near Gaza food distribution centers

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At slightest 27 Palestinians were fatally changeable and 161 others wounded connected Tuesday arsenic they tried to scope a nutrient organisation halfway successful Gaza tally by a arguable U.S.-backed group, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. It was the 3rd time of deadly violence reported adjacent a humanitarian hub tally by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a backstage enactment accused by the United Nations of weaponizing aid.

"We were shocked by the numbers of injuries. A horrific number," 1 ambulance operator said arsenic the wounded were rushed to the Nasser Hospital successful the confederate Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis. "All the injuries were straight to the caput and chest. Many of them young radical who went to get assistance from the American foundation."

Little accusation has been made nationalist astir GHF's operations. CBS News has been told by 1 root that it has employed astatine slightest 300 American contractors, each heavy armed, who person been fixed "as overmuch ammunition arsenic they tin carry."

Aftermath of what the Gaza wellness ministry accidental was Israeli occurrence adjacent a organisation tract successful Rafah

GHF said Tuesday that its operations continued without disruption astatine its 4 hubs successful Gaza, though it acknowledged reports of violence, which it said took place, "well beyond our unafraid organisation tract and operations area."

In a statement, the Israeli military, which has taken power of an expanding information of Gaza successful caller weeks, said its troops had fired informing shots adjacent the assistance hub connected Tuesday morning, and that it was alert of reports of casualties and was looking into them.

Climate activistic Greta Thunberg and a "Game of Thrones" histrion connected assistance vessel headed for Gaza

"During the question of the assemblage on the designated routes toward the assistance organisation tract — astir fractional a kilometer [0.3 miles] from the tract — IDF troops identified respective suspects moving toward them, deviating from the designated entree routes," the Israel Defense Forces said successful a statement. "The troops carried retired informing fire, and aft the suspects failed to retreat, further shots were directed adjacent a fewer idiosyncratic suspects who precocious toward the troops."

The IDF said it "allows the American Civil Organization (GHF) to run independently successful bid to alteration the organisation of assistance to the Gazan residents — and not to Hamas. IDF troops are not preventing the accomplishment of Gazan civilians to the humanitarian assistance organisation sites."

GHF said successful a connection connected Tuesday that it had distributed a full of much than 7 cardinal meals since it started operations astir a week ago, and that "aid organisation was conducted safely and without incidental astatine our tract today."

"We recognize that IDF is investigating whether a fig of civilians were injured aft moving beyond the designated harmless corridor and into a closed subject zone. This was an country good beyond our unafraid organisation tract and operations area. We admit the hard quality of the concern and counsel each civilians to stay successful the harmless corridor erstwhile traveling to our organisation sites."

Among those killed this week was Reem Akhras, a parent of 8 who was changeable connected her mode to retrieve an assistance parcel from a GHF hub, her household said. A CBS News squad successful Gaza attended her ceremonial Tuesday morning.

"You went to get america food, Mom," Akhras' young girl cried, sobbing implicit her body. "We volition ne'er forgive them, Mom. Not successful this beingness oregon the next."

Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, called the concern successful Gaza "unconscionable" and demanded a "prompt and impartial investigation" into the deaths astir the GHF hubs.

"Palestinians person been presented the grimmest of choices: dice from starvation oregon hazard being killed portion trying to entree the meagre nutrient that is being made disposable done Israel's militarized humanitarian assistance mechanism," Türk said successful a connection Tuesday. "This militarized strategy endangers lives and violates planetary standards connected assistance distribution, arsenic the United Nations has repeatedly warned."

"The wilful impediment of entree to nutrient and different life-sustaining alleviation supplies for civilians whitethorn represent a warfare crime," Türk said. "The menace of starvation, unneurotic with 20 months of sidesplitting of civilians and demolition connected a monolithic scale, repeated forced displacements, intolerable, dehumanizing rhetoric and threats by Israel's enactment to bare the Strip of its population, besides represent elements of the astir superior crimes nether planetary law."

Imtiaz Tyab contributed to this report.