Latest news with #UN-run
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 days ago
- Health
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Again Israel kills at least 50 Palestinians near aid site in Gaza - War on Gaza
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli occupation forces on Tuesday killed at least 50 people gathered near an aid distribution site in Khan Younis in the territory's south, updating an earlier toll. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that at least 50 people were killed and more than 200 wounded as thousands of Palestinians gathered to receive flour at a charity aid centre in the morning. "Israeli drones fired at the citizens. Some minutes later, Israeli tanks fired several shells at the citizens, which led to a large number of martyrs and wounded," he said. Israeli occupation forces have repeatedly opened fire on crowds trying to reach food distribution points run by a separate US- and Israeli-backed aid group since the centres opened in May. Local health officials say scores have been killed and hundreds wounded. In those instances, the Israeli army has acknowledged firing warning shots at people it claimed had suspiciously approached its forces. UN agencies and major aid groups have rejected the new system, saying it cannot meet the mounting needs in Gaza and that it violates humanitarian principles by allowing Israel to control who has access to aid. Experts have warned of widespread famine in Gaza. The UN-run network has delivered aid across Gaza throughout the 20-month Israeli genocidal war, but has faced major obstacles since Israel loosened a total blockade it had imposed from early March until mid-May. UN officials say Israeli military restrictions, a breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting make it difficult to deliver the aid that Israel has allowed in. Israel's war on Gaza since October 2023 has killed over 55,300 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry also reported that as a result of the deadly attack, "51 martyrs and more than 200 injuries have arrived at Nasser Medical Complex, including 20 in critical condition." Dr Mohammed Saqer, head of nursing at the hospital, said to the BBC that the individuals arriving at the hospital had been attacked by 'tanks' while waiting for food. * This story was edited by Ahram Online. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Mint
5 days ago
- Health
- Mint
Israeli tank fires on Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza; 45 killed, says health ministry
Israeli tank shellfire killed at least 45 Palestinians and wounded dozens of others as they were waiting for aid trucks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the territory's health ministry said. According to medics, the residents said that the Israeli tanks fired shells against crowds of desperate Palestinians awaiting aid trucks along the main eastern road in Khan Younis. The medics are also expecting the number of fatalities to rise as many of the wounded were in critical condition, reported Reuters. A ministry statement added that the Nasser Hospital, where the casualties were rushed to, had been overwhelmed by the number of deaths and injuries. AP reported that the circumstances of the killings were not clear. It did not seem to be related to a new Israeli- and US-supported aid delivery network that rolled out last month and has been disrupted by controversy and violence. Palestinians claim that Israeli forces have opened fire on crowds on multiple occasions. Especially, when these people are trying to reach food distribution points run by a separate US and Israeli-backed aid group since the centres opened last month. Local health officials say scores have been killed and hundreds wounded, AP reported. The Israeli military has acknowledged firing warning shots at people, claiming that some people had approached its forces in a suspicious manner. Israel defends its new system, saying it is designed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off aid to fund its militant activities. UN agencies and major aid groups deny the possibility of any major diversion of aid and have outrightly rejected the new system, saying it can't meet the increasing needs in Gaza. They also said that it violates humanitarian principles by giving the entire power to Israel to determine who has access to aid. Experts have warned of widespread famine in Gaza, reported AP. The UN-run network has delivered aid across Gaza throughout the 20-month Israel-Hamas war, but has faced major barriers since Israel loosened a total blockade it had imposed from early March until mid-May. UN officials say Israeli military restrictions, a breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting are making it difficult to deliver the aid that Israel has allowed in, said AP. Israel's military campaign since October 2023 has killed over 55,300 Palestinians, including both civilians and combatants. Out of the deceased people, more than half of them are women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, AP reported.
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
At least 8 dead in shooting near Israeli and US-supported aid sites in Gaza
The war in Gaza rages more than 20 months after Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which sparked a chain of events that helped lead to Israel's surprise attack on Iran on Friday. Advertisement The shooting on Sunday happened close to the sites that are operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a group that Israel and the United States hope will replace a system of aid distribution run by the United Nations, which has rejected the initiative, saying it violates humanitarian principles. There have been near-daily shootings near the sites since they opened last month. Witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on crowds, and health officials say scores have been killed. The military has acknowledged firing warning shots at what it says were suspects approaching its forces. 'There were wounded, dead, and martyrs,' Ahmed al-Masri told the Associated Press Sunday as he returned from one site empty-handed. 'It's a trap.' Advertisement Umm Hosni al-Najjar said she joined the crowd heading to the aid point in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan neighborhood around 4:30 a.m. She said the shooting began as people were advancing to the site a few minutes after her arrival. 'There were many wounded and martyrs,' she said. 'No one was able to evacuate them.' The Nasser Hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis said it received eight bodies after the shooting. The aid system rolled out last month has been marred by chaos and violence, while the UN system has struggled to deliver food because of Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of law and order, despite Israel loosening a total blockade it imposed from early March to mid-May. 'A person dies next to you and you cannot carry him. If you wanted to carry him with your hands, you would return to your children without food. Life is death,' said Alaa Saqer, among those seeking aid. Gaza's Health Ministry said Sunday that overall, the bodies of 65 people killed by Israeli strikes or gunfire had been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours. Later, al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of 11 people killed in an Israeli strike on a house along Salah al-Din Street in central Gaza. It said 35 others were wounded. Israel and the United States say Hamas has siphoned aid from the UN-run system, while UN officials say there is no evidence of systematic diversion. The UN says the new system does not meet Gaza's needs, allows Israel to control who gets aid, and risks further mass displacement as people move closer to the sites. Two are in the southernmost city of Rafah — now mostly uninhabited — and all three are in Israeli military zones that are off limits to independent media. Advertisement The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says there has been no violence in or around the distribution points. It has warned people to stay on designated routes and recently paused delivery to discuss safety measures with the military. Separately, Israel's military body in charge of aid coordination in Gaza, COGAT, said 292 trucks of aid from the UN and international community entered Gaza over the past week. About 600 trucks entered per day during the latest cease-fire. 'I feed my children bread and salt, I swear to God,' said Mohammad Misleh in Gaza City. Hamas started the war with its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel as Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage. The militants still hold 53 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in cease-fire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 55,300 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It says women and children make up most of the dead but doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population, often multiple times.
The National
7 days ago
- Health
- The National
8 Palestinians killed by IDF shooting near aid site in Gaza
Witnesses said Israeli forces opened fire around dawn towards crowds of desperate Palestinians heading to two aid sites in Rafah. Experts and aid workers say Israel's blockade and military campaign have caused widespread hunger and raised the risk of famine. The shooting happened hundreds of metres away from the sites, which are operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a group that Israel and the United States hope will replace the United Nations-run system of aid distribution. READ MORE: UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Israel as Iran strikes escalate The UN has rejected the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles. There have been near-daily shootings near the sites since they opened last month. Witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on the crowds and health officials say scores have been killed. The military has acknowledged firing warning shots at what it says were suspects approaching its forces. 'There were wounded, dead, and martyrs,' Ahmed al-Masri told The Associated Press on Sunday as he returned from one of the sites empty-handed. 'It's a trap.' READ MORE: Why did Israel attack Iran and have they again broken international law? Umm Hosni al-Najjar said she joined the crowd heading to the aid point in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood at around 4.30am local time. She said the shooting began as people were advancing to the site a few minutes after her arrival. 'There were many wounded and martyrs,' she said. 'No-one was able to evacuate them.' The Nasser Hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis said it received eight bodies after the shooting. The aid system rolled out last month has been marred by chaos and violence, while the UN system has struggled to deliver food because of Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of law and order., despite Israel loosening a total blockade it imposed from early March to mid-May. Israel and the US claim Hamas has siphoned aid off of the UN-run system, while UN officials say there is no evidence of systematic diversion. The UN says the new system does not meet Gaza's needs, allows Israel to control who gets aid and risks further mass displacement as people move closer to the sites. Two are in the southernmost city of Rafah – now mostly inhabited – and all three are in Israeli military zones that are off limits to independent media.
North Wales Chronicle
14-06-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 20 as war rages on
The 20-month war with Hamas has raged on even as Israel has opened a new front with heavy strikes on Iran that sparked retaliatory drone and missile attacks. Another 11 Palestinians were killed overnight near food distribution points run by an Israeli and US-supported humanitarian group in the latest of almost daily shootings near the sites since they opened last month. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli forces have fired on the crowds, while the military says it has only fired warning shots near people it describes as suspects who approached its forces. The sites are located in military zones that are off limits to independent media. Israel's military said it fired warning shots overnight to distance a group of people near troops operating in the Netzarim corridor, and an aircraft struck a person who kept advancing. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private contractor that operates the sites, said they were closed on Saturday. But witnesses said thousands had gathered near the sites anyway, desperate for food as Israel's blockade and military campaign have driven the territory to the brink of famine. Al-Awda Hospital said it received eight bodies and at least 125 wounded people from a shooting near a GHF site in central Gaza. Mohamed Abu Hussein, a resident of the built-up Bureij refugee camp nearby, said Israeli forces opened fire toward the crowd about a kilometre (half-mile) from the food distribution point. He said he saw several people fall to the ground as thousands ran away. In the southern city of Khan Younis, Nasser Hospital said it received 16 dead, including five women, from multiple Israeli strikes late on Friday and early on Saturday. It said another three men were killed near two GHF aid sites in the southern-most city of Rafah, now a mostly uninhabited military zone. An Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, killed four people, Al-Aqsa Hospital said. Meanwhile, Israel's military said two projectiles came from Gaza and fell in open areas, with no injuries. Israel and the US say the new aid system is intended to replace a UN-run network that has distributed aid across Gaza through 20 months of war. They accuse Hamas of siphoning off the aid and reselling it to fund its militant activities. UN officials deny Hamas has diverted significant amounts of aid and say the new system is unable to meet mounting needs. They say the new system has militarised aid by allowing Israel to decide who has access and by forcing Palestinians to travel long distances or relocate again after waves of displacement. They say the UN has struggled to deliver aid even after Israel eased its blockade last month because of military restrictions and rising lawlessness. Hamas, which is allied with Iran, sparked the war when its fighters led a rampage into southern Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. They still hold 53 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead but does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. The offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced 90% of the population of some two million Palestinians, leaving them almost entirely reliant on international aid. The war has drawn in Iran and its other allies across the region, igniting a chain of events that led to Israel's major strikes on Iran's nuclear and military facilities on Friday.
