Palestinians say Israeli fire kills 5 near aid sites; Israel
Palestinians say Israeli fire kills 5 near aid sites; Israel says fired warning shots
Israeli fire killed at least five people and wounded others as they headed toward two aid distribution points in Gaza run by an Israeli and US-backed group
DEIR-AL-BALAH (GAZA
STRIP) — Israeli fire killed at least five people and wounded
others as they headed toward two aid distribution points in Gaza run by an
Israeli and US-backed group, Palestinian health officials and witnesses said
Sunday. Israel's military said it fired warning shots at people who approached
its forces.
The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new
hubs where thousands of Palestinians — desperate after 20 months of war — are
being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened
fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital
officials.
In all, at least 108 bodies were brought to hospitals in
Gaza over the past 48 hours, the territory's Health Ministry said. Israel's
military said it struck dozens of militant targets throughout Gaza over the
past day.
Four of the latest bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in
the southern city of Khan Younis. Palestinian witnesses said Israeli forces
fired on them at a roundabout around a kilometre from a site run by the Gaza
Humanitarian Foundation in nearby Rafah.
Israel's military said it fired warning shots at “suspects”
who had advanced toward its forces and ignored warnings to turn away. It said
the shooting occurred in an area that is considered an active combat zone at
night.
Al-Awda Hospital said it received the body of a 42-year-old
man and 29 people who were wounded near another GHF aid distribution point in
central Gaza. The military said it fired warning shots in the area at around
6:40 am but did not see any casualties.
A GHF official said there was no violence in or around its
distribution sites, all three of which delivered aid on Sunday. The group
closed them temporarily last week to discuss safety measures with Israel's
military and has warned people to stay on designated access routes. The
official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
The new aid hubs are set up inside Israeli military zones
where independent media have no access.
Witnesses said the shooting in southern Gaza occurred at
around 6 am, when they were told the site would open. Many headed toward it
early, seeking desperately needed food before the crowds arrived.
Adham Dahman, who was at Nasser Hospital with a bandage on
his chin, said a tank fired toward them. “We didn't know how to escape,"
he said. "This is trap for us, not aid.”
Zahed Ben Hassan said someone next to him was shot in the
head. He said he and others pulled the body from the scene.
“They said it was a safe area from 6 am until 6 pm ... So
why did they start shooting at us?” he said. “There was light out, and they
have their cameras and can clearly see us.”
The military announced on Friday that the sites would be
open during those hours, and that the area would be a closed military zone the
rest of the time.
Children cried over their father's body at the hospital. “I
can't see you like this, Dad!” one girl said.
Aid distributed
inside Israeli military zones
Gaza's roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely
reliant on international aid because nearly all food production capabilities
have been destroyed.
The new aid hubs are run by GHF, a new group of mainly
American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the
United Nations and international aid groups.
Israel and the United States accuse the Hamas militant group
of stealing aid. The UN denies there is systematic diversion. The UN says the
new system is unable to meet mounting needs, allows Israel to use aid as a
weapon by determining who can receive it and forces people to relocate to where
aid sites are positioned.
The UN system has struggled to deliver aid, even after
Israel eased its complete blockade of Gaza last month. UN officials say their
efforts are hindered by Israeli military restrictions, the breakdown of law and
order and widespread looting.
Experts warned earlier this year that Gaza was at critical
risk of famine if Israel did not lift its blockade and halt its military
campaign. Both were renewed in March. Israeli officials have said the offensive
will continue until all hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed
and sent into exile.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages
in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli
withdrawal from Gaza. Talks mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar have been
deadlocked for months.
Hamas started the war with its attack on southern Israel on
October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly
civilians, and took another 251 hostage. They still hold 55 hostages, fewer
than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire
agreements or other deals.
Israel has recovered dozens of bodies, including three in
recent days, and rescued eight living hostages during the war.
Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,800
Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It says women and children
make up most of the dead but does not say how many civilians or combatants were
killed. Israel says it has killed over 20,000 militants, without providing
evidence.
The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced
around 90 per cent of its population.
