**Tragedy Strikes as Crowd Surge Claims Lives at Gaza Aid Distribution Center**

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation reports twenty fatalities during a crowd surge at their aid site, highlighting ongoing humanitarian crises in the region.

Twenty individuals lost their lives during a chaotic crowd surge at an aid distribution site in southern Gaza, according to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by the U.S. and Israel. Of the deceased, nineteen were reportedly trampled, while one suffered a fatal stab wound amid the pandemonium. Witness accounts suggest the surge may have been sparked by "agitators" affiliated with Hamas.

Verification of these claims remains elusive as Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis confirmed receipt of bodies, attributing ten deaths to "suffocation" after the aid site was closed by GHF's American private security personnel. The GHF commenced operations in late May, and since then, reports have emerged of Palestinians being killed in their pursuit of assistance, with many casualties alleged to have resulted from Israeli fire.

The United Nations Human Rights Office reported that 674 casualties have taken place around the GHF's four locations in southern and central Gaza over the past six weeks, alongside an additional 201 deaths recorded on pathways utilized by aid convoys. In a recent interview, a Gaza aid contractor disclosed witnessing fellow aid workers opening fire on Palestinians amidst the crisis, intensifying scrutiny on GHF's operations.

Before the surge incident, GHF officials had refuted any claims of fatalities near their distribution sites, accusing the UN of disseminating "false and misleading" statistics derived from Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry. In light of the report, the Israeli military acknowledged some civilian casualties and pledged to minimize “possible friction” between civilians and military personnel. The UN has expressed ethical concerns regarding the GHF's reliance on private security forces and has chosen not to collaborate with them.