Israel and US recall teams from Gaza truce talks, US says Hamas not showing good faith
'The Americans said 'go, go' and then said no, get back. They sprayed us with pepper spray so we went away. Five minutes later they shot teargas at us. Is this American humanitarian aid?' said Mervat al-Sakani.
Asked for comment, a spokesperson for the aid organisation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), said a limited amount of pepper spray was used 'to prevent civilian injury due to overcrowding', adding GHF 'didn't want people to get hurt.' The spokesperson said women-only aid distribution had been 'a major success' overall.
GHF, a US-and Israeli-backed organisation, began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May.
The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which the GHF denied.
The UN rights office said on July 15 it had recorded at least 875 killings within the preceding six weeks in the vicinity of aid sites and food convoys in Gaza, most of them close to GHF distribution points.
Most of the deaths were caused by gunfire that locals have blamed on the Israeli military. The military has acknowledged civilians were harmed, saying Israeli forces had been issued new instructions with 'lessons learnt'.
Israel, which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened it with new restrictions in May, said it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent Hamas diverting it.
Israel said it has let in enough food for Gazans, and blamed the UN for being slow to deliver it. The UN said it is operating as effectively as possible under conditions imposed by Israel.
The war began when Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in its October 7 attacks on Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has since killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities.
Reuters
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