Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has condemned the chaotic and deadly events at a recent aid distribution in Rafah, southern Gaza. The medical NGO treated dozens of survivors and blamed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—a new U.S.-backed organization—for the disorder. MSF said the foundation’s uncoordinated aid delivery led to panic, confusion, and mass casualties as people scrambled for limited supplies.
“Shot from All Sides,” Say Survivors
MSF reported that patients they treated described being fired upon from every direction. “They were shot from all sides by drones, helicopters, boats, tanks, and soldiers,” the organization said. Witnesses recalled terror and confusion as bullets rained down during the aid distribution.
The Israeli military claims it only fired warning shots to disperse a crowd approaching the area. But survivors tell a different story. MSF’s Gaza communications officer, Nour Alsaqa, described hospital corridors packed with injured men. “Almost all had gunshot wounds in their limbs,” she said. Doctors struggled to treat so many casualties at once.
One wounded man, Mansour Sami Abdi, told MSF that the aid drop sparked chaos. “They told us to take food—then they fired from every direction,” he said. People reportedly fought over just five pallets of food. Hunger, fear, and desperation quickly turned the scene into a battlefield.
Aid Distribution Turned Deadly
MSF directly blamed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for the breakdown in safety. The group, backed by the U.S., organized the distribution without proper planning or security coordination, MSF alleged. The aid system failed to control the crowd or ensure safe access.
“Distributing small amounts of aid to massive, starving crowds without protection is reckless,” MSF said. They warned that these operations, if not improved, would continue to cost lives.
Aid convoys in Gaza have faced major challenges. Roads are damaged. Border controls are tight. Israeli restrictions and ongoing airstrikes complicate efforts further. International aid groups have long urged for better coordination and protection for humanitarian workers and civilians.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has not responded publicly to MSF’s accusations. The U.S. government has also remained silent so far. Meanwhile, people in Gaza continue to risk their lives for basic food.
Hospitals Overwhelmed, Crisis Deepens
Medical centers in Gaza are overwhelmed. Supplies are running low. Doctors are exhausted. The wounded keep arriving in waves. Hospitals lack enough medicine, beds, or staff. Many injured receive only basic first aid before being discharged.
MSF warned that without a change in how aid is delivered, more people will die needlessly. They are urging all groups, including the U.S. and Israel, to guarantee safe zones for distributions.
People in Gaza remain trapped between war and starvation. As fighting continues, so does their suffering. Calls for an immediate ceasefire and better humanitarian access grow louder. But so far, the violence shows no sign of ending.
