Several aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip were temporarily closed Friday morning due to excessive crowding, which made it unsafe to proceed, The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced Friday afternoon in an emailed statement following an earlier notice on Facebook.
GHF said that all media reports of disruptions are inaccurate and that aid was distributed peacefully and without incident. "At no point did violence occur," the organization said.
"Our official Facebook page is a mechanism to communicate with the people of Gaza to ensure their safe passage," GHF added.
GHF said it distributed 471,240 meals Friday across two distribution sites, in Tal Sultan and the Saudi neighborhood. The total number of meals distributed to date is approximately 8,952,142 via roughly 140,640 boxes, according to the organization.
"We would like to inform you that all sites of aid distribution are closed. Please stay away from distribution sites for your safety," GHF said earlier in the Facebook post.
IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X on Friday that Palestinians would have 'free movement' to aid distribution sites between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., but warned that outside those hours the area would be a 'closed military zone' and movement would pose a significant risk to life.
Aid distribution at GHF sites over past week
The GHF opened two sites in southern Gaza on Thursday after closing all of its centers the previous day in the wake of shootings in the vicinity of its operations. It has so far operated four distribution centers.
Palestinians collecting aid from GHF sites told Reuters that there was no clear distribution system, describing the process as disorganized and chaotic. Footage released this week by the organization has shown similar scenes at one of its sites.
GHF halted distributions on Wednesday and said it was pressing Israeli forces to improve civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its operations after dozens of Palestinians were shot dead near the Rafah site over three consecutive days.
The Israeli military said on Sunday and Monday that its soldiers had fired warning shots. On Tuesday, it said, forces also fired warning shots before firing towards Palestinians that it said were advancing towards troops. GHF has said that aid was safely handed out from its sites without any incident.
“Despite the conditions in what often feels like a hopeless situation, the kindness and thankfulness of the Palestinian people to our team is all the motivation we need to keep doing what we are doing," GHF Interim Executive Director John Acree said in a Friday statement. Acree also wished Gazans an Eid al-Adha Mubarak.
This is a developing story.