At least 21 people have tragically lost their lives in a devastating stampede at a Gaza humanitarian food distribution site, with reports of suffocation and chaos leaving many more injured. Eyewitness accounts describe a scene of horror as desperate crowds surged forward, driven by the dire need for food amidst crippling shortages.

The incident occurred at a site run by the GHF, an organization backed by the U.S. and Israel, which has come under fire for its handling of humanitarian aid in the region. While the GHF claims that armed agitators incited the stampede, Gaza’s Ministry of Health and numerous witnesses assert that the chaos was triggered by tear gas fired by U.S. personnel, causing mass panic among the throngs of people seeking aid. “We were running like everyone else,” one survivor recounted, “but the gate was closed. We couldn’t escape.”

Many who gathered at the site were unaware that it was not operational, as the GHF relies on social media updates to communicate, a method that fails in a region with severely limited internet access. The United Nations has condemned the GHF’s operations, labeling them as “death traps” that lack basic safety standards. Since the GHF began its operations in late May, over 875 Palestinians have reportedly died while trying to secure food, primarily from gunfire.

With the price of basic necessities skyrocketing—flour now costing up to $20—desperate families have little choice but to risk everything for the slim chance of survival. “No one can afford to buy it,” one local lamented, highlighting the dire economic collapse in Gaza. As humanitarian conditions worsen, the urgency for aid becomes ever more critical, yet the risks continue to escalate. The world watches as the struggle for survival plays out in the streets of Gaza, where hope seems to dwindle with each passing day.