The sounds of Israeli tanks and gunfire were reportedly heard on Tuesday as huge crowds of Palestinians tried to reach a newly opened humanitarian centre in southern Gaza.
Witnesses say panic ensued as desperate people broke through the centre's fences, forcing staff to retreat.
There is no information about casualties yet.
The unrest began on the second day of work by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which Israel has entrusted with distributing food in the Gaza Strip despite resistance from the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies.
There was no comment from the Israeli military.
Palestinians are in dire need of food after nearly three months of a blockade that has brought Gaza to the brink of famine.
On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children walked several miles through Israeli military positions to reach the GHF distribution center on the outskirts of Rafah.
At this time, an Associated Press journalist, who was at a distance, heard gunshots and tank fire.
Smoke rose from the impact site of one shell. After that, the crowds began to return, almost all of them unaided.
Ahmed Abu Taha, one of those seeking aid, said crowds of people stormed the distribution centre, breaking down barriers.
He heard gunshots and saw Israeli warplanes overhead. “It was chaos,” he said. “People were panicking.”
Another Palestinian, Saleh Abu Najjar, said he heard tank fire from a distance, east of the center. “The situation was very dangerous and people were afraid,” he added.
In a statement, GHF said that due to the large number of Palestinians seeking assistance, the centre's staff followed security protocols and “stepped back” to allow people to disperse and then resumed their work.
A spokesman for the group told AP that no shots were fired on GHF territory.
An anonymous source from the group noted that the protocol was aimed at “preventing casualties among people, which is what happened.”
GHF uses armed private contractors to guard the centers and transport cargo.
The center is also located near Israeli military positions in the Morag area, a strip of land that runs across the entire Gaza Strip and separates Rafah from the rest of the territory.
GHF has opened four food distribution centres in the Gaza Strip, two of which began operating on Monday, both in the Rafah area.
UN officials and aid workers warn of potential conflicts between Israelis
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
