Latest news with #aidworkers
CBC
2 days ago
- Health
- CBC
As death toll mounts, Gazans make life-risking journeys to seek food, aid
Social Sharing Like thousands of other Palestinians in Gaza, Hind Al-Nawajha takes a dangerous, kilometres-long journey every day to try to get some food for her family, hoping she makes it back alive. Accompanied by her sister, Mazouza, the mother-of-four had to duck down and hide behind a pile of rubble on the side of the road as gunshots echoed nearby. "You either come back carrying [food] for your children and they will be happy, or you come back in a shroud. Or you go back upset [without food] and your children will cry," said Nawajha, 38, a resident of Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza. "This is life; we are being slaughtered, we can't do it anymore." In the past two days, dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire as they tried to get food from aid trucks brought into the enclave by the United Nations and international relief agencies, Gaza medics said. On Thursday, medics said at least 51 people were killed by Israeli gunfire and military strikes, including 12 people who tried to approach a site operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in the central Gaza Strip, the latest in near-daily reports of killings of people seeking food. The Israeli military said there were several attempts by "suspects" to approach forces in the area of Netzarim in a manner that endangered them. It said forces fired warning shots to prevent suspects from approaching them, and it was currently unaware of injuries in the incident. In an email, GHF criticized Gazan health officials, accusing them of regularly releasing inaccurate information. GHF said that Palestinians do not access the nearby GHF site via the Netzarim corridor. It did not address questions about whether GHF was aware that such an incident had occurred. Women, children killed in separate Israeli strikes Thirty-nine people were killed, meanwhile, in separate Israeli airstrikes in the northern Gaza Strip, medics said. One of those strikes killed at least 19 people in a tent in the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, they added. Heba Ziada, 32, said her sister was killed in the strike on Al-Shati, which struck the entrance of a market in the refugee camp. "My sister was 14 years old. What did she do wrong?" Ziada told CBC News freelance videographer Mohamed El Saife on Thursday. Another strike killed at least 14 people and damaged several houses in Jabaliya, in the north of the enclave, medics said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on those attacks. In recent days, the Israeli military said its forces had opened fire and fired warning shots to disperse people who approached areas where troops were operating, posing a threat. It said it was reviewing reports of casualties among civilians. Returning empty-handed after trying to find food Israel has been channelling much of the aid it is now allowing into Gaza through the new U.S.- and Israeli-backed GHF, which operates a handful of distribution sites in areas guarded by Israeli forces. Gaza's Health Ministry said hundreds of Palestinians have been killed trying to reach GHF sites since late May. The United Nations rejects the GHF delivery system as inadequate, dangerous and a violation of humanitarian impartiality rules. Israel says it is needed to prevent Hamas fighters from diverting aid, which Hamas denies. On Wednesday, the GHF said in a statement it had distributed three million meals across three of its aid sites without an incident. WATCH | A number of Palestinians trying to reach Rafah aid site killed on Monday: 'We saw death': Palestinians describe violence near GHF aid sites on Monday 3 days ago Duration 1:10 At least 20 people were killed and 200 others wounded in Israeli fire near an aid distribution site in Rafah on Monday, according to medics. The deaths are the latest in mass shootings that have killed at least 300 Palestinians in the past several weeks, Gaza's Health Ministry says, as they try to access food through the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's distribution system. The Gaza war was triggered when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct.7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed nearly 55,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, while displacing almost the entire population of more than two million and causing a hunger crisis. The Norwegian Refugee Council warned Thursday that more than one million people were without adequate shelter in Gaza, saying equipment such as tents and tarpaulins had been blocked by Israel from entering since March 1. Nawajha returned empty-handed on Wednesday from her journey to find food, flopping down exhausted on the dusty ground outside the tent in Gaza City, where she has been displaced and sheltering with her family. She and her sister have been camping by the road for the past 20 days. They say they try to force their way into the distribution site where trucks carrying aid arrive, but are often outmuscled by men, who sometimes fight over sacks of flour coming off UN trucks. "[When] there is no food, as you can see, children start crying and getting angry," said Nawajha. "When we are for three, four kilometres or more on our legs... Oh my … our feet are bruised and our shoes are torn off."
Sky News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Controversial aid distributor claims Hamas has carried out deadly attack on bus carrying Palestinians
The controversial US and Israeli-backed aid distributor in Gaza has accused Hamas of a deadly attack on a bus carrying Palestinians working with the organisation. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has said at least five aid workers were killed and it fears some team members "may have been taken hostage". The aid organisation also said multiple people were injured in the alleged attack. In a statement, the GHF has said the bus was carrying more than two dozen people working with the organisation when it was targeted at 10pm Gaza time (8pm UK time) on Wednesday. The GHF said those in the bus were "local Palestinians" working with the organisation to "deliver critical aid". "At the time of the attack, our team was en route to one of our distribution centres in the area west of Khan Younis", the GHF added. It continued in its statement: "We are still gathering facts, but what we know is devastating: there are at least five fatalities, multiple injuries, and fear that some of our team members may have been taken hostage. "We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms. These were aid workers." The GHF also said in its statement that Hamas has in recent days been threatening members of the organisation, including aid workers, and civilians who have been receiving the aid. The organisation said it holds Hamas fully responsible for "taking the lives of our dedicated workers who have been distributing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people at the foundation's sites in central and southern Gaza". "Tonight, the world must see this for what it is: an attack on humanity. We call on the international community to immediately condemn Hamas for this unprovoked attack and continued threat against our people simply trying to feed the Palestinian people," the GHF said. "We will release additional information once it becomes available. Despite this heinous attack, we will continue our mission to provide critical aid to the people of Gaza." 3:59 The alleged attack came hours after health officials in Gaza said at least 25 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire at a GHF site close to the former settlement of Netzarim, near Gaza City. Medical officials at Shifa and al Quds hospitals say the people were killed as they approached the site. Gaza's health ministry said earlier this week that around 160 people have been killed in shootings near aid sites run by the GHF since they began distributing aid on 26 May. However, the GHF has said there has been no violence in or around the distribution centres themselves. 1:45 Why is the aid system controversial? Israel and the US have said the GHF system is aimed at preventing Hamas from siphoning off assistance. Israel has not provided any evidence of systematic diversion, and the UN denies it has occurred. The foundation's distribution of aid has been marred by chaos, and multiple witnesses have said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the delivery sites. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles because it allows Israel to control who receives aid and forces people to relocate to distribution sites, risking yet more mass displacement in the territory. Jake Wood, a former US marine, resigned as head of the GHF in May before it began distributing aid in Gaza over concerns about is independence. Mr Wood said the foundation cannot adhere to the "humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon".
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Honours for Linda Norgrove's parents after years fighting for rights of women in daughter's name
Their lives were shattered 15 years ago when their kidnapped daughter was killed in Afghanistan during a rescue attempt by US forces. Heartbreakingly, John and Lorna Norgrove later learned it was an American grenade that killed their aid worker daughter Linda. Now the couple, who channelled their grief into a charity in her memory, have both been made OBEs in the King's Birthday Honours. Based on the Isle of Lewis, the Norgroves said their daughter would have been 'delighted' they were carrying on her work – and dedicated their new honour to women in Afghanistan. Linda, who grew up on Lewis, was kidnapped by the Taliban while doing aid work in September 2010. The following month a US special ops rescue mission was launched but the 34-year-old was fatally wounded by one of their grenades, dying shortly after her extraction. In her memory, her parents set up the Linda Norgrove Foundation which gives grants to fund education, health and childcare for women and children in Afghanistan. The couple said: 'We are a tiny charity, mostly volunteers, who all share the same goal – to make life better for women and children in Afghanistan. 'Having put a lot of effort into sponsoring women to study medicine in Afghanistan, we were heartbroken when the Taliban stopped them from attending university. We were privileged to have the chance to bring some of them here to Scotland last year to continue their studies. 'We dedicate this honour to all those brave women who remain in Afghanistan, or who have made the decision to move abroad and continue their studies. Their struggle continues and they are the real heroes of this story.' The Norgroves were among a slew of Scots recognised in the honours list for making a difference in their field of endeavour. Labour politician Pamela Duncan Glancy, the first wheelchair user elected to the Scottish parliament, becomes an MBE, while social media influencer Zahrah Mahmood, 34 – known as the Hillwalking Hijabi – was recognised with the same honour. Glaswegian mother-of-two Ms Mahmood, president of Ramblers Scotland, said: 'I'm still taking it in. I'm grateful, and I hope I can continue using whatever platform this brings to keep doing the work which matters to me and so many others.' Historian Alistair Moffat, who founded the Borders Book Festival, also becomes an MBE, for services to literature and culture. He has written more than 40 books on Scottish history. This year's Borders Book Festival starts on Thursday. Charles Pelling, manager of Edinburgh's Lady Haig Poppy Factory, was honoured with an OBE in recognition of services to veterans. Meanwhile, Debbie Crosbie – boss of building society Nationwide – paid tribute to her Glaswegian upbringing after receiving a damehood. She said: 'Most of my peer group have come from a much higher social demographic and they tended to be educated in either Oxford or Cambridge. 'I am actually hugely proud. I grew up in Glasgow, I wasn't different to any of my peer group, so to be given the opportunity to lead... I've had a massively rewarding career.' Ms Crosbie's fellow Glaswegian, Greggs chief executive Roisin Currie, is also among the business leaders honoured this year with a CBE.
Zawya
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
United Nation (UN) Relief Chief issues call to action for protection and accountability for the people of Sudan
Again and again, the international community has said that we will protect the people of Sudan. The people of Sudan should ask us if, when and how we will start to deliver on that promise. For their country has become a grim example of twin themes of this moment: indifference and impunity. We sound again the alarm. This is the world's largest humanitarian crisis. 30 million people need lifesaving aid – half the population. A war that should be ended rages without mercy. From Kordofan to Darfur, it has left civilians trapped, starving, without the basics they need for their survival. Indiscriminate shelling, drone attacks and other air strikes kill, injure and displace people in staggering numbers. The health system has been smashed to pieces, with cholera, measles and other diseases spreading. And now the lean season is arriving. Our appeals are pitifully supported. Where is the funding? Meanwhile, hospitals and displacement camps have been attacked, critical infrastructure destroyed, and aid trucks hit, preventing them from getting food and essential supplies to those in such desperate need. Last week's deadly attack on a UN humanitarian convoy in North Darfur again demonstrated the vanishing protection for civilians – including aid workers. The human cost of this war – including horrific sexual violence – has been repeatedly reported and condemned, but talk has not translated into real protection for civilians or safe, unimpeded and sustained access for humanitarians. Where is the accountability? We call on all with influence to step up. Protect civilians. Guarantee safe access for humanitarians. Fund their work. Insist on agreements to humanitarian pauses and other arrangements that can allow us to safely reach the areas and people worst hit. Work harder to secure a lasting, inclusive and just peace. Despite cuts and danger, the humanitarian movement will not stop working to reach those in need. Let this time not be defined by indifference and impunity, but by a revival in human solidarity for those in greatest need, and determination to hold to account those responsible for it. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
The Australian
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Australian
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation accuses Hamas of killing five of its Palestinian staffers
The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is the only organisation distributing aid in Gaza, has accused Hamas of killing five of its staffers and possibly taking others hostage. The organisation, which has replaced the UN in the Strip, said in a statement that around 10pm local time (4am AEST) 'a bus carrying more than two dozen members of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation team … were brutally attacked by Hamas.' 'We are still gathering facts, but what we know is devastating: there are at least five fatalities, multiple injuries, and fear that some of our team members may have been taken hostage,' the GHF said. In an email to AFP the group said all the passengers on the bus were Palestinian and all were aid workers, who were en route to GHF's distribution centre in the area west of Khan Younis. 'We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms,' the group said. 'These were aid workers. Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons and friends, who were risking their lives every day to help others.' The organisation recently accused Hamas of threatening its drivers and staff. The Times of Israel reports the militants' threats forced GHF to close operations at its four sites on Saturday. The privately funded aid group GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, aiming to prevent Hamas from stealing aid and selling it back to Palestinians to finance its war against Jerusalem. While the plan was hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a key turning point in the conflict, the rollout has been marked by violence and disorder, with accusations the Israeli military shot into crowds of civilians attempting to pick up aid. Israeli authorities and the GHF – which uses contracted US security – deny any such incident took place, and some Gazans said the shooting had come from Hamas militants, not the Israeli side. Two weeks ago, as the first two distribution sites opened, Israeli media reported that Hamas had placed barriers to block access to the sites in the southern city of Rafah and falsely told Gazans Israelis were arresting residents near those areas. The group also threatened Palestinians they would 'pay the price' if they co-operated with the organisation, and told Palestinians to stay home, claiming Israel was using the company to collect intelligence information. 'Do not go to Rafah. Do not fall into the trap. Do not risk your lives. Your homes are your fortress. Staying in your neighbourhoods is survival, and awareness is your protection,' a statement published by the Hamas-linked Home Front said. The US-based non-profit organisation Centre for Peace Communications last week released a video of a Gazan accusing the militant organisation of killing Palestinians at aid sites run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The man in the CPC video stresses: 'No one has an interest in (carrying out) these attacks except Hamas. 'Hamas would rather we die of hunger than let the American aid distribution system succeed.' The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to co-operate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. The Wall Street Journal A senior Israeli official warns a strike could come as soon as Sunday unless Iran agrees to halt production of fissile material that can be used to make an atomic bomb. The Wall Street Journal Tehran's move casts shadow over nuclear talks while Donald Trump says an Israeli strike 'could very well happen' but urges Israel not to attack.
