Gaza civil defense says Israeli attacks kill 26 near 2 aid centers
Agency spokesperson Mahmud Basal told AFP that 22 were killed near a site southwest of Khan Younis and four near another center northwest of Rafah, blaming "Israeli gunfire" for both.
One eyewitness said he headed to the Al-Tina area of Khan Younis before dawn with five of his relatives to try to get food when "Israeli soldiers" started shooting.
"My relatives and I were unable to get anything," Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, told AFP. "Every day I go there and all we get is bullets and exhaustion instead of food."
The Israeli military said it was "looking into" the claims when contacted by AFP.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties.
The war in Gaza, sparked by militant group Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has created dire humanitarian conditions for the local population.
The more than two million people who live in the densely populated coastal territory are facing severe shortages of food and other essentials, and doctors have reported a spike in acute malnutrition.
Deaths of people waiting for handouts in huge crowds near aid distribution centres have become a regular occurrence, with the Palestinian authorities blaming Israeli fire.
'Agitators'
The civil defense agency reported that nine people were shot and killed near the same aid point in the Al-Shakoush area northwest of Rafah on Friday.
The U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which took over the running of aid distribution in late May, said 20 people died in Khan Younis on Wednesday.
But it blamed "agitators in the crowd ... armed and affiliated with Hamas" for creating "a chaotic and dangerous surge" and firing at aid-seekers.
The previous day, the U.N. said it had recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food, including 674 "in the vicinity of GHF sites," since it began operating.
The free flow of aid into Gaza is a key demand of Hamas in the indirect talks with Israel for a 60-day cease-fire in the 21-month war.
It also wants a full Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
For its part, Israel wants Hamas to disarm to neutralise it as a security threat and the release of hostages still being held.
Both sides have accused the other of intransigence and holding up a deal.
Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Of the 251 people taken hostage that day, 49 are still in Gaza, including the 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel's retaliatory military action has killed 58,667 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
L'Orient-Le Jour
13 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Lebanese Army reinforces its deployment on outskirts of Rmeish after Israeli incursion
The Lebanese Army has reinforced its presence near the southern border town of Rmeish (Bint Jbeil) after Israeli military vehicles breached the technical fence and attempted excavation work, prompting the intervention of U.N. peacekeepers, the army said in a statement Sunday, as cited by the state-run National News Agency. The army described the incident as 'a blatant violation of U.N. Resolution 1701 and the cease-fire agreement.' Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, called for the cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River, and the disarmament of all non-state militias. 'As a result, the Lebanese Army reinforced its deployment in the area to confront the enemy,' the statement said. 'A patrol from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) arrived to document the violations, which forced the enemy forces to retreat back into occupied territory.' The statement added that the Army Command 'continues to monitor developments along the southern border in coordination with UNIFIL.' Under the cease-fire agreement, which came into effect on Nov. 27, Hezbollah was expected to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, leaving only the Lebanese Army and U.N. peacekeeping forces in the area. Despite the terms of the agreement, Israel has maintained its presence in five positions in southern Lebanon. Violations have persisted, with near-daily attacks and incursions into southern Lebanon, repeated strikes on the Bekaa, and four airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut with the most recent being on June 5. These attacks have killed more than 270 people in Lebanon, including dozens of civilians, according to figures compiled by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and L'Orient Today.
L'Orient-Le Jour
13 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
First humanitarian convoy enters Sweida
A first humanitarian aid convoy entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria on Sunday, following a week of deadly intercommunal fighting, a Syrian Red Crescent official told AFP. A fragile cease-fire took effect Sunday in the province of Sweida, where clashes have left over 1,000 dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). An AFP correspondent near the city saw the convoy, made up of white vehicles bearing the Red Crescent emblem. 'This is the first convoy to enter since the latest events, and it is now inside the city of Sweida,' Omar al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Syrian Red Crescent, told AFP. He added that the convoy's entry, the first of several, was 'coordinated between government parties and local authorities in Sweida,' which is controlled by Druze factions. The 32-vehicle convoy carried food, medical supplies, fuel and body bags. Residents say the besieged city is without water and electricity. A second aid convoy, organized by Syrian authorities and including over 40 trucks along with three government ministers, was unable to enter the city, according to Damascus. The Syrian Foreign Ministry claimed that 'armed militias affiliated with Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri blocked the entry of the convoy.' Sheikh al-Hijri, one of the Druze community's most influential religious figures, has drawn government ire for calling for international protection of the Druze and appealing for help from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel, home to a Druze minority, has said it intends to protect the community in Syria. In a statement Sunday, Sheikh al-Hijri said that 'all aid reaching the devastated province of Sweida through international organizations and parties is welcome.' The violence, which erupted on July 13 between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes before escalating with the intervention of government forces and tribal groups from across Syria, has killed more than 1,000 people, according to SOHR. The morgue of Sweida's government hospital is full, and bodies were seen lying outside the facility, an AFP photographer reported Sunday. Un premier convoi humanitaire entre à Soueida
L'Orient-Le Jour
13 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Large protest in Morocco against the ‘unbearable' situation in Gaza
Tens of thousands of Moroccans demonstrated Sunday in Rabat against the 'unbearable' humanitarian situation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the normalization of relations between Israel and their country. Protesters marched down one of the main avenues in the capital, waving Palestinian flags and holding signs calling for an end to the Israeli blockade on Gaza. 'It's a disgrace, Gaza is under fire,' 'Lift the blockade,' 'Morocco, Palestine, one people' and 'No to normalization,' they chanted. The demonstration was organized by various groups, including a coalition of the Islamist movement Al Adl Wal Ihssane and left-wing parties. Around two million Palestinians besieged by Israel in Gaza are on the brink of famine after more than 21 months of conflict, sparked by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israeli territory on Oct. 7, 2023. 'Palestinians are starving and being killed before the eyes of the world. It's our duty to denounce this unbearable tragedy,' protester Jamal Behar told AFP. For young demonstrator Hibattallah Rifqat, 'Israel is committing ethnic cleansing in Gaza. My participation in this protest is a way to amplify the voice of the Palestinians,' she said. Several large demonstrations have taken place in Morocco since the war in Gaza began, in support of the Palestinians and also to demand the cancellation of the normalization agreement with Israel signed in late 2020. Morocco has officially called for an 'immediate end to the Israeli war on Gaza,' without challenging normalization. 'Denouncing the tragedy in Gaza is the least we can do. It must stop. And … we oppose all forms of normalization [with Israel],' said protester Hasna Ouazzani.
