Starvation looming, desperate Palestinians surged toward an aid center that Israel says was designed to circumvent Hamas.
Chaos and confusion broke out at a new aid center in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the first full day that humanitarian assistance was being distributed through a contentious effort conceived by Israelis.
A blockade by Israel since March had halted food and fuel entering the enclave, leaving Palestinians desperate for supplies. Aid organizations suspended their operations as food stockpiles dwindled, and relief officials have been warning that widespread hunger has become a daily reality.
The desperation was evident at the distribution site on Tuesday, where footage verified by The New York Times showed chaotic scenes unfolding, with hundreds of people gathering in the compound. Large crowds, including women and young children, could be seen running toward the center of the site where boxes of aid had been piled up earlier in the day, and the chaos grew as more people climbed up and over sand berms surrounding the location.
In one video, a large crowd can be seen suddenly running away from the distribution site as several short bursts of gunfire are heard in the distance. The panicked crowd tramples the metal fencing set up round the perimeter of the site.
Security at the new distribution sites is being provided by private American contractors, but the Israeli military is stationing forces nearby, outside the perimeter.
