Hundreds of Palestinians flooded aid distribution sites in Gaza on Tuesday, desperate for food despite concerns over biometric screening and potential surveillance by Israeli authorities.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.-backed initiative, reported it had distributed around 8,000 food packages by late afternoon, equivalent to approximately 462,000 meals. This follows nearly three months of blockade by Israel, which has left much of the Gaza Strip in dire need of food and medical supplies.
In the southern city of Rafah, under full Israeli military control, Palestinians, including women and children, lined up for aid, some on foot or using donkey carts. Footage from the scene, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed large crowds entering a field where food aid was stacked. Later images shared on social media depicted parts of the fence being torn down as people surged forward to collect supplies.
Despite warnings from Hamas about biometric screening at distribution sites, the hunger of the people drove them to disregard the risks. One man, Abu Ahmed, a father of seven, expressed fear of the process. “As much as I want to go because I am hungry and my children are hungry, I am afraid,” he said in a WhatsApp message, citing concerns raised by Hamas about the Israeli links to the aid process.
The aid packages contained items such as rice, flour, canned beans, pasta, olive oil, biscuits, and sugar. However, many Palestinians remain wary of the initiative, questioning its neutrality. Israel insists that the GHF, based in Switzerland and backed by the U.S., operates independently, with no involvement of Israeli forces in the distribution process.
The Israeli military reported that four aid distribution points have been established, two of which began operations in Rafah on Tuesday, distributing food to thousands of families. According to Israeli officials, the new system offers an opportunity to screen recipients for ties to Hamas.
Humanitarian organizations have expressed concerns over the use of facial recognition technology at the distribution sites, fearing it could be used to track and target individuals. The United Nations and other international aid agencies have boycotted GHF, emphasizing that humanitarian aid should be provided based on need, not politics.
Israel’s blockade, imposed in early March, followed accusations that Hamas was seizing aid supplies to support its military activities. Hamas denies these claims. Despite recent easing of the blockade, only a fraction of the aid needed is entering Gaza, with estimates indicating that between 500 to 600 trucks of supplies are required daily.
“Before the war, my fridge used to be full of meat, chicken, dairy, soft drinks, everything, and now I am begging for a loaf of bread,” Abu Ahmed lamented.
The resumption of aid comes amid continued Israeli military actions in Gaza, where more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive in October 2023. The health ministry in Gaza reported that the number of casualties continues to rise as Israel’s ground and air strikes target various locations.
Israel’s air and ground war against Hamas, triggered by an October 7 attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and led to the abduction of 251 hostages, shows no signs of abating, leaving millions of Palestinians in Gaza facing an ongoing humanitarian crisis.