798 Palestinians killed near Gaza aid centers in six weeks: UN report

At least 798 Palestinians have been killed over the past six weeks near aid distribution centers and convoys in Gaza, according to the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Of those, 615 were killed near facilities operated by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), while 183 died near aid convoys.

Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva on Friday (July 11), OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said, “These casualties occurred between May 27 and July 7. Most of the injuries were caused by gunfire. We are seriously concerned about the atrocities committed and the high risk of further violence against people waiting in line for food and other essential aid.”

GHF began distributing aid after Israel lifted an 11-week blockade at the end of May. The organization has rejected the OHCHR report, calling the statistics “false and misleading.”

A GHF spokesperson said, “The deadly attacks actually took place near UN aid convoys. If the situation had been better managed, more aid could have been delivered. Cooperation between the UN and other humanitarian agencies with us could help stop or significantly reduce this violence.”

The UN has criticized GHF’s operations as “fundamentally unsafe” and not consistent with humanitarian neutrality, especially due to the presence of Israeli forces near its aid centers. OHCHR spokesperson Shamdasani rejected GHF’s claims, stating, “Ignoring our concerns is unhelpful—we need impartial investigations to understand why people are being killed while trying to receive aid.”

GHF conducts aid distribution with the assistance of US-based private security and logistics firms, operating outside the UN-led system. Israel alleges that Hamas has been seizing aid delivered through UN channels, a claim Hamas denies.

The Israeli military has said recent casualty incidents are under review and that several steps have been taken to reduce conflict, including building security fences, installing guidance signs, and opening new access routes.

OHCHR stated that its information was collected from hospitals, cemeteries, families, the Palestinian health authority, NGOs, and local partners.