Gaza aid group denies 'categorically false' reports of Palestinians killed at GHF sites
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) denied allegations published by the Associated Press (AP), which claimed that five people were killed outside its aid distribution centers, in a statement issued on Thursday.
'GHF launched an immediate investigation when the Associated Press first brought these allegations to our attention. Based on time-stamped video footage and sworn witness statements, we have concluded that the claims in the AP's story are categorically false,' the foundation said, responding to videos in the AP report.
'At no point were civilians under fire at a GHF distribution site. The gunfire heard in the video was confirmed to have originated from the IDF, who were positioned outside the immediate vicinity of the GHF distribution site. The fire was not directed at individuals, and no one was shot or injured,' GHF explained.
'What GHF found most concerning, however, was the AP's refusal to share the full video with them prior to publication, despite the gravity of the allegations. 'If they believed their own reporting, they should have provided us with the footage so we could take immediate and appropriate action,' the statement added.
'We take the safety and security of our sites very seriously. When behavior falls short of our standards, we act,' GHF said.
The foundation concluded, 'We remain focused on delivering food to the people of Gaza safely, directly, and without interference. That mission is too important to be derailed by misinformation.'
On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that 94 Palestinians were killed in Gaza overnight, including 45 who were attempting to get to humanitarian aid, hospitals, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said.
The AP claimed that five individuals were killed outside GHF sites, with another 40 reported killed at other aid locations across Gaza.
The report also referenced a statement from NGO Amnesty International, which accused Israel and GHF of 'militarizing' the aid distribution process as a starvation tactic against Palestinians.
'Israel has continued to use the starvation of civilians as a weapon of war against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip and to deliberately impose conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction as part of its ongoing genocide,' the Amnesty report claimed..
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