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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
NDIS changes slammed as 'unsustainable' as clinic moves away from scheme
An occupational therapy practice has started transitioning away from the NDIS as pricing decisions make it more "unsustainable" to provide services. The National Disability Insurance Agency's (NDIA) annual pricing review of the scheme has frozen the cost for occupational therapy sessions provided to NDIS participants for a seventh year and halved travel subsidies for allied health professionals. Price caps for other allied health therapies have also changed. Bryony Clark, an occupational therapist and co-director of Corrimal-based Facilitate OT alongside Carla Widloecher, said that while the fee payable for OT sessions had remained unchanged, business costs had gone up about 30 per cent and wages by about 25 per cent. "It really is virtually unsustainable to remain working in the NDIS," Ms Clark said. Ms Clark said the travel subsidy reduction meant it was not viable for the clinic to send out allied health assistants to see NDIS participants for certain therapies, because it no longer covered the cost of the service. Travel subsidies were also important, she said, because OTs needed to assess people in their homes, workplaces and schools - not only for the best outcomes for the participants, but because it was required for NDIS accreditation. A person with disability approved for an NDIS plan receives funding for appropriate supports, which can include therapies and services, as well as equipment. Each year, the NDIA conducts a pricing review and sets limits for what providers can charge for therapies and services for NDIS participants. From July 1, the cap for occupational therapy was again set at $193.99 per hour. The limit for physiotherapy has dropped by $10 to $183.99 per hour, and for podiatry and dietetics by $5 to $188.99 per hour. Psychology has increased by $10 to $232.99 an hour. Therapists are now limited to billing travel time at 50 per cent of their hourly rate. The NDIA says the new prices better match what people without an NDIS plan pay for these therapies. When participants get a new plan, their funding will be set according to the revised rates. National peak bodies for allied health professionals and health advocacy groups have called on the NDIA to review its pricing decision out of concern that the changes will force providers out of the NDIS and result in less support for participants. Facilitate OT has 260 active NDIS participants on its books, but Ms Clark and Ms Widloecher have made the difficult decision to begin transition out of the NDIS due to what they say is the uncertainty and difficulty of working in the system. "We've really soldiered on for a very long time, hoping things will get better, and not wanting to leave out participants without support," Ms Clark said. They have already ceased outreach driving assessments, which evaluate an NDIS participant's ability to drive and any modifications they might need, because of the travel fee changes. An NDIA spokesperson said therapy supports represented a "significant" portion of NDIS funding, amounting to over $4 billion in payments each year. "A comprehensive review of prices found NDIS participants were paying different prices to what other Australians pay for those therapies," the spokesperson said. "We also heard from participants that excessive travel claims for therapy-related services drain participants' plans faster than expected and reducing the amount of support a participant could access." The spokesperson said the new rule encouraged providers to schedule more effectively. Ms Clark argued that there was a difference between the NDIS hourly rates and the subsidised rebate system under which Medicare and private health insurance operated, the latter of which providers could add a gap fee. She also pointed to some government schemes (which the NDIA considered in its review) that paid higher rates than the NDIS for occupational therapy. Ms Clark fears a loss of support for NDIS participants will cost the health system, as individuals will need more intensive care down the line, and impose a social cost as carers shoulder a heavier load in lieu of allied health therapies. The NDIA has said it would monitor markets to ensure participants had continued access to supports. The spokesperson said NDIS data showed the number of providers continued to grow and had increased by almost 58,000 in a year. An occupational therapy practice has started transitioning away from the NDIS as pricing decisions make it more "unsustainable" to provide services. The National Disability Insurance Agency's (NDIA) annual pricing review of the scheme has frozen the cost for occupational therapy sessions provided to NDIS participants for a seventh year and halved travel subsidies for allied health professionals. Price caps for other allied health therapies have also changed. Bryony Clark, an occupational therapist and co-director of Corrimal-based Facilitate OT alongside Carla Widloecher, said that while the fee payable for OT sessions had remained unchanged, business costs had gone up about 30 per cent and wages by about 25 per cent. "It really is virtually unsustainable to remain working in the NDIS," Ms Clark said. Ms Clark said the travel subsidy reduction meant it was not viable for the clinic to send out allied health assistants to see NDIS participants for certain therapies, because it no longer covered the cost of the service. Travel subsidies were also important, she said, because OTs needed to assess people in their homes, workplaces and schools - not only for the best outcomes for the participants, but because it was required for NDIS accreditation. A person with disability approved for an NDIS plan receives funding for appropriate supports, which can include therapies and services, as well as equipment. Each year, the NDIA conducts a pricing review and sets limits for what providers can charge for therapies and services for NDIS participants. From July 1, the cap for occupational therapy was again set at $193.99 per hour. The limit for physiotherapy has dropped by $10 to $183.99 per hour, and for podiatry and dietetics by $5 to $188.99 per hour. Psychology has increased by $10 to $232.99 an hour. Therapists are now limited to billing travel time at 50 per cent of their hourly rate. The NDIA says the new prices better match what people without an NDIS plan pay for these therapies. When participants get a new plan, their funding will be set according to the revised rates. National peak bodies for allied health professionals and health advocacy groups have called on the NDIA to review its pricing decision out of concern that the changes will force providers out of the NDIS and result in less support for participants. Facilitate OT has 260 active NDIS participants on its books, but Ms Clark and Ms Widloecher have made the difficult decision to begin transition out of the NDIS due to what they say is the uncertainty and difficulty of working in the system. "We've really soldiered on for a very long time, hoping things will get better, and not wanting to leave out participants without support," Ms Clark said. They have already ceased outreach driving assessments, which evaluate an NDIS participant's ability to drive and any modifications they might need, because of the travel fee changes. An NDIA spokesperson said therapy supports represented a "significant" portion of NDIS funding, amounting to over $4 billion in payments each year. "A comprehensive review of prices found NDIS participants were paying different prices to what other Australians pay for those therapies," the spokesperson said. "We also heard from participants that excessive travel claims for therapy-related services drain participants' plans faster than expected and reducing the amount of support a participant could access." The spokesperson said the new rule encouraged providers to schedule more effectively. Ms Clark argued that there was a difference between the NDIS hourly rates and the subsidised rebate system under which Medicare and private health insurance operated, the latter of which providers could add a gap fee. She also pointed to some government schemes (which the NDIA considered in its review) that paid higher rates than the NDIS for occupational therapy. Ms Clark fears a loss of support for NDIS participants will cost the health system, as individuals will need more intensive care down the line, and impose a social cost as carers shoulder a heavier load in lieu of allied health therapies. The NDIA has said it would monitor markets to ensure participants had continued access to supports. The spokesperson said NDIS data showed the number of providers continued to grow and had increased by almost 58,000 in a year. An occupational therapy practice has started transitioning away from the NDIS as pricing decisions make it more "unsustainable" to provide services. The National Disability Insurance Agency's (NDIA) annual pricing review of the scheme has frozen the cost for occupational therapy sessions provided to NDIS participants for a seventh year and halved travel subsidies for allied health professionals. Price caps for other allied health therapies have also changed. Bryony Clark, an occupational therapist and co-director of Corrimal-based Facilitate OT alongside Carla Widloecher, said that while the fee payable for OT sessions had remained unchanged, business costs had gone up about 30 per cent and wages by about 25 per cent. "It really is virtually unsustainable to remain working in the NDIS," Ms Clark said. Ms Clark said the travel subsidy reduction meant it was not viable for the clinic to send out allied health assistants to see NDIS participants for certain therapies, because it no longer covered the cost of the service. Travel subsidies were also important, she said, because OTs needed to assess people in their homes, workplaces and schools - not only for the best outcomes for the participants, but because it was required for NDIS accreditation. A person with disability approved for an NDIS plan receives funding for appropriate supports, which can include therapies and services, as well as equipment. Each year, the NDIA conducts a pricing review and sets limits for what providers can charge for therapies and services for NDIS participants. From July 1, the cap for occupational therapy was again set at $193.99 per hour. The limit for physiotherapy has dropped by $10 to $183.99 per hour, and for podiatry and dietetics by $5 to $188.99 per hour. Psychology has increased by $10 to $232.99 an hour. Therapists are now limited to billing travel time at 50 per cent of their hourly rate. The NDIA says the new prices better match what people without an NDIS plan pay for these therapies. When participants get a new plan, their funding will be set according to the revised rates. National peak bodies for allied health professionals and health advocacy groups have called on the NDIA to review its pricing decision out of concern that the changes will force providers out of the NDIS and result in less support for participants. Facilitate OT has 260 active NDIS participants on its books, but Ms Clark and Ms Widloecher have made the difficult decision to begin transition out of the NDIS due to what they say is the uncertainty and difficulty of working in the system. "We've really soldiered on for a very long time, hoping things will get better, and not wanting to leave out participants without support," Ms Clark said. They have already ceased outreach driving assessments, which evaluate an NDIS participant's ability to drive and any modifications they might need, because of the travel fee changes. An NDIA spokesperson said therapy supports represented a "significant" portion of NDIS funding, amounting to over $4 billion in payments each year. "A comprehensive review of prices found NDIS participants were paying different prices to what other Australians pay for those therapies," the spokesperson said. "We also heard from participants that excessive travel claims for therapy-related services drain participants' plans faster than expected and reducing the amount of support a participant could access." The spokesperson said the new rule encouraged providers to schedule more effectively. Ms Clark argued that there was a difference between the NDIS hourly rates and the subsidised rebate system under which Medicare and private health insurance operated, the latter of which providers could add a gap fee. She also pointed to some government schemes (which the NDIA considered in its review) that paid higher rates than the NDIS for occupational therapy. Ms Clark fears a loss of support for NDIS participants will cost the health system, as individuals will need more intensive care down the line, and impose a social cost as carers shoulder a heavier load in lieu of allied health therapies. The NDIA has said it would monitor markets to ensure participants had continued access to supports. The spokesperson said NDIS data showed the number of providers continued to grow and had increased by almost 58,000 in a year. An occupational therapy practice has started transitioning away from the NDIS as pricing decisions make it more "unsustainable" to provide services. The National Disability Insurance Agency's (NDIA) annual pricing review of the scheme has frozen the cost for occupational therapy sessions provided to NDIS participants for a seventh year and halved travel subsidies for allied health professionals. Price caps for other allied health therapies have also changed. Bryony Clark, an occupational therapist and co-director of Corrimal-based Facilitate OT alongside Carla Widloecher, said that while the fee payable for OT sessions had remained unchanged, business costs had gone up about 30 per cent and wages by about 25 per cent. "It really is virtually unsustainable to remain working in the NDIS," Ms Clark said. Ms Clark said the travel subsidy reduction meant it was not viable for the clinic to send out allied health assistants to see NDIS participants for certain therapies, because it no longer covered the cost of the service. Travel subsidies were also important, she said, because OTs needed to assess people in their homes, workplaces and schools - not only for the best outcomes for the participants, but because it was required for NDIS accreditation. A person with disability approved for an NDIS plan receives funding for appropriate supports, which can include therapies and services, as well as equipment. Each year, the NDIA conducts a pricing review and sets limits for what providers can charge for therapies and services for NDIS participants. From July 1, the cap for occupational therapy was again set at $193.99 per hour. The limit for physiotherapy has dropped by $10 to $183.99 per hour, and for podiatry and dietetics by $5 to $188.99 per hour. Psychology has increased by $10 to $232.99 an hour. Therapists are now limited to billing travel time at 50 per cent of their hourly rate. The NDIA says the new prices better match what people without an NDIS plan pay for these therapies. When participants get a new plan, their funding will be set according to the revised rates. National peak bodies for allied health professionals and health advocacy groups have called on the NDIA to review its pricing decision out of concern that the changes will force providers out of the NDIS and result in less support for participants. Facilitate OT has 260 active NDIS participants on its books, but Ms Clark and Ms Widloecher have made the difficult decision to begin transition out of the NDIS due to what they say is the uncertainty and difficulty of working in the system. "We've really soldiered on for a very long time, hoping things will get better, and not wanting to leave out participants without support," Ms Clark said. They have already ceased outreach driving assessments, which evaluate an NDIS participant's ability to drive and any modifications they might need, because of the travel fee changes. An NDIA spokesperson said therapy supports represented a "significant" portion of NDIS funding, amounting to over $4 billion in payments each year. "A comprehensive review of prices found NDIS participants were paying different prices to what other Australians pay for those therapies," the spokesperson said. "We also heard from participants that excessive travel claims for therapy-related services drain participants' plans faster than expected and reducing the amount of support a participant could access." The spokesperson said the new rule encouraged providers to schedule more effectively. Ms Clark argued that there was a difference between the NDIS hourly rates and the subsidised rebate system under which Medicare and private health insurance operated, the latter of which providers could add a gap fee. She also pointed to some government schemes (which the NDIA considered in its review) that paid higher rates than the NDIS for occupational therapy. Ms Clark fears a loss of support for NDIS participants will cost the health system, as individuals will need more intensive care down the line, and impose a social cost as carers shoulder a heavier load in lieu of allied health therapies. The NDIA has said it would monitor markets to ensure participants had continued access to supports. The spokesperson said NDIS data showed the number of providers continued to grow and had increased by almost 58,000 in a year.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
'Invariably fatal' rare bat virus claims another victim
A man has died after contracting an extremely rare, rabies-like bat virus, the fourth death since its discovery almost 30 years ago. NSW Health confirmed the man in his 50s died on Thursday after being bitten by a bat several months ago. The northern NSW man was the first recorded case of Australian bat lyssavirus in the state and only the fourth in the nation. Lyssavirus transmits from infected bats to humans when virus in their saliva enters the body through a bite or scratch. Emerging bat viruses expert Alison Peel told AAP the virus, like rabies, travels through the nervous system to the brain. "That happens very slowly so it's quite usual for that to take a number of months between the exposure and the clinical signs developing," the University of Sydney Horizon Fellow said. More than 100 people received medical treatment after potential or suspected exposures each year, Dr Peel said, but it was unknown how many actually contracted the virus. "But certainly, once clinical signs develop ... it's generally, invariably fatal." Australia is home to more than 80 species of bats, and without widespread surveillance of them all, it's safest to assume any bat could be carrying the virus. It was only transmitted through direct contact, so being near bats, or even pooed on by one, was not cause for too much alarm, Dr Peel said. "It's an important consideration to try and avoid direct contact and not touching bats, but we shouldn't panic and take it out on the bats themselves." The virus is also potentially deadly to bats. "It does seem to be circulating within their populations at very, very low levels," Dr Peel said. "But there are quite a high proportion of bats out there that have antibody evidence that suggests that they have been exposed to the virus in the past and they've not become sick. "There is something unique about the way bats are able to handle the infection." It is extremely rare for the virus to transmit to humans because it does not spread through the air. A NSW Health spokesman said anyone bitten or scratched by a bat should seek urgent medical assessment. "Only wildlife handlers who are trained, protected, and vaccinated should interact with bats." People bitten or scratched by a bat require rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine. In 2024, 118 people were treated after being bitten or scratched by a bat around the nation. The virus was first discovered in a black flying fox in Queensland in 1996. A man has died after contracting an extremely rare, rabies-like bat virus, the fourth death since its discovery almost 30 years ago. NSW Health confirmed the man in his 50s died on Thursday after being bitten by a bat several months ago. The northern NSW man was the first recorded case of Australian bat lyssavirus in the state and only the fourth in the nation. Lyssavirus transmits from infected bats to humans when virus in their saliva enters the body through a bite or scratch. Emerging bat viruses expert Alison Peel told AAP the virus, like rabies, travels through the nervous system to the brain. "That happens very slowly so it's quite usual for that to take a number of months between the exposure and the clinical signs developing," the University of Sydney Horizon Fellow said. More than 100 people received medical treatment after potential or suspected exposures each year, Dr Peel said, but it was unknown how many actually contracted the virus. "But certainly, once clinical signs develop ... it's generally, invariably fatal." Australia is home to more than 80 species of bats, and without widespread surveillance of them all, it's safest to assume any bat could be carrying the virus. It was only transmitted through direct contact, so being near bats, or even pooed on by one, was not cause for too much alarm, Dr Peel said. "It's an important consideration to try and avoid direct contact and not touching bats, but we shouldn't panic and take it out on the bats themselves." The virus is also potentially deadly to bats. "It does seem to be circulating within their populations at very, very low levels," Dr Peel said. "But there are quite a high proportion of bats out there that have antibody evidence that suggests that they have been exposed to the virus in the past and they've not become sick. "There is something unique about the way bats are able to handle the infection." It is extremely rare for the virus to transmit to humans because it does not spread through the air. A NSW Health spokesman said anyone bitten or scratched by a bat should seek urgent medical assessment. "Only wildlife handlers who are trained, protected, and vaccinated should interact with bats." People bitten or scratched by a bat require rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine. In 2024, 118 people were treated after being bitten or scratched by a bat around the nation. The virus was first discovered in a black flying fox in Queensland in 1996. A man has died after contracting an extremely rare, rabies-like bat virus, the fourth death since its discovery almost 30 years ago. NSW Health confirmed the man in his 50s died on Thursday after being bitten by a bat several months ago. The northern NSW man was the first recorded case of Australian bat lyssavirus in the state and only the fourth in the nation. Lyssavirus transmits from infected bats to humans when virus in their saliva enters the body through a bite or scratch. Emerging bat viruses expert Alison Peel told AAP the virus, like rabies, travels through the nervous system to the brain. "That happens very slowly so it's quite usual for that to take a number of months between the exposure and the clinical signs developing," the University of Sydney Horizon Fellow said. More than 100 people received medical treatment after potential or suspected exposures each year, Dr Peel said, but it was unknown how many actually contracted the virus. "But certainly, once clinical signs develop ... it's generally, invariably fatal." Australia is home to more than 80 species of bats, and without widespread surveillance of them all, it's safest to assume any bat could be carrying the virus. It was only transmitted through direct contact, so being near bats, or even pooed on by one, was not cause for too much alarm, Dr Peel said. "It's an important consideration to try and avoid direct contact and not touching bats, but we shouldn't panic and take it out on the bats themselves." The virus is also potentially deadly to bats. "It does seem to be circulating within their populations at very, very low levels," Dr Peel said. "But there are quite a high proportion of bats out there that have antibody evidence that suggests that they have been exposed to the virus in the past and they've not become sick. "There is something unique about the way bats are able to handle the infection." It is extremely rare for the virus to transmit to humans because it does not spread through the air. A NSW Health spokesman said anyone bitten or scratched by a bat should seek urgent medical assessment. "Only wildlife handlers who are trained, protected, and vaccinated should interact with bats." People bitten or scratched by a bat require rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine. In 2024, 118 people were treated after being bitten or scratched by a bat around the nation. The virus was first discovered in a black flying fox in Queensland in 1996. A man has died after contracting an extremely rare, rabies-like bat virus, the fourth death since its discovery almost 30 years ago. NSW Health confirmed the man in his 50s died on Thursday after being bitten by a bat several months ago. The northern NSW man was the first recorded case of Australian bat lyssavirus in the state and only the fourth in the nation. Lyssavirus transmits from infected bats to humans when virus in their saliva enters the body through a bite or scratch. Emerging bat viruses expert Alison Peel told AAP the virus, like rabies, travels through the nervous system to the brain. "That happens very slowly so it's quite usual for that to take a number of months between the exposure and the clinical signs developing," the University of Sydney Horizon Fellow said. More than 100 people received medical treatment after potential or suspected exposures each year, Dr Peel said, but it was unknown how many actually contracted the virus. "But certainly, once clinical signs develop ... it's generally, invariably fatal." Australia is home to more than 80 species of bats, and without widespread surveillance of them all, it's safest to assume any bat could be carrying the virus. It was only transmitted through direct contact, so being near bats, or even pooed on by one, was not cause for too much alarm, Dr Peel said. "It's an important consideration to try and avoid direct contact and not touching bats, but we shouldn't panic and take it out on the bats themselves." The virus is also potentially deadly to bats. "It does seem to be circulating within their populations at very, very low levels," Dr Peel said. "But there are quite a high proportion of bats out there that have antibody evidence that suggests that they have been exposed to the virus in the past and they've not become sick. "There is something unique about the way bats are able to handle the infection." It is extremely rare for the virus to transmit to humans because it does not spread through the air. A NSW Health spokesman said anyone bitten or scratched by a bat should seek urgent medical assessment. "Only wildlife handlers who are trained, protected, and vaccinated should interact with bats." People bitten or scratched by a bat require rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine. In 2024, 118 people were treated after being bitten or scratched by a bat around the nation. The virus was first discovered in a black flying fox in Queensland in 1996.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Dozens waiting for aid among 94 killed in Gaza
Air strikes and shootings have killed 94 Palestinians in Gaza overnight, including 45 who were attempting to get much-needed humanitarian aid, hospitals and the health ministry say. Israel's military did not immediately comment on the strikes. Five people were killed while outside sites associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the newly created, secretive American organisation backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip's population, while 40 others were killed waiting for aid in other locations across the Gaza Strip. Dozens of people were killed in air strikes that pounded the Strip Wednesday night and Thursday morning, including 15 people killed in strikes that hit tents in the sprawling Muwasi zone, where many displaced Palestinians are sheltering. A separate strike on a school in Gaza City sheltering displaced people also killed 15 people. Gaza's health ministry said the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza had passed 57,000 since the war began on October 7, 2023. The toll includes 223 people who had been missing but have now been declared dead. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The deaths come as Israel and Hamas inch closer to a possible ceasefire that would end the 21-month war. Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. But Hamas's response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialise into an actual pause in fighting. The Israeli military blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas. The military said it targeted Hamas militants and rocket launchers in northern Gaza that launched rockets toward Israel on Wednesday. The UK-based human rights group Amnesty International condemned both Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which the US and Israel have tapped to take over aid distribution in Gaza from a network led by the United Nations. The Amnesty report said Israel has "turned aid-seeking into a booby trap for desperate starved Palestinians" through GHF's militarised hubs. The conditions have created "a deadly mix of hunger and disease pushing the population past breaking point", it said. Israel's foreign minister denounced the Amnesty report, saying the organisation had "joined forces with Hamas and fully adopted all of its propaganda lies". Gaza's health ministry says more than 500 Palestinians have been killed at or near GHF distribution centres in the past month, including five overnight between Wednesday and Thursday in Khan Younis. The centres are guarded by private security contractors and located near Israeli military positions. Palestinian officials and witnesses have accused Israeli forces of opening fire at crowds of people moving near the sites. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1200 people and taking about 250 hostages. The war has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. The war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of people hungry. Air strikes and shootings have killed 94 Palestinians in Gaza overnight, including 45 who were attempting to get much-needed humanitarian aid, hospitals and the health ministry say. Israel's military did not immediately comment on the strikes. Five people were killed while outside sites associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the newly created, secretive American organisation backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip's population, while 40 others were killed waiting for aid in other locations across the Gaza Strip. Dozens of people were killed in air strikes that pounded the Strip Wednesday night and Thursday morning, including 15 people killed in strikes that hit tents in the sprawling Muwasi zone, where many displaced Palestinians are sheltering. A separate strike on a school in Gaza City sheltering displaced people also killed 15 people. Gaza's health ministry said the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza had passed 57,000 since the war began on October 7, 2023. The toll includes 223 people who had been missing but have now been declared dead. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The deaths come as Israel and Hamas inch closer to a possible ceasefire that would end the 21-month war. Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. But Hamas's response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialise into an actual pause in fighting. The Israeli military blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas. The military said it targeted Hamas militants and rocket launchers in northern Gaza that launched rockets toward Israel on Wednesday. The UK-based human rights group Amnesty International condemned both Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which the US and Israel have tapped to take over aid distribution in Gaza from a network led by the United Nations. The Amnesty report said Israel has "turned aid-seeking into a booby trap for desperate starved Palestinians" through GHF's militarised hubs. The conditions have created "a deadly mix of hunger and disease pushing the population past breaking point", it said. Israel's foreign minister denounced the Amnesty report, saying the organisation had "joined forces with Hamas and fully adopted all of its propaganda lies". Gaza's health ministry says more than 500 Palestinians have been killed at or near GHF distribution centres in the past month, including five overnight between Wednesday and Thursday in Khan Younis. The centres are guarded by private security contractors and located near Israeli military positions. Palestinian officials and witnesses have accused Israeli forces of opening fire at crowds of people moving near the sites. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1200 people and taking about 250 hostages. The war has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. The war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of people hungry. Air strikes and shootings have killed 94 Palestinians in Gaza overnight, including 45 who were attempting to get much-needed humanitarian aid, hospitals and the health ministry say. Israel's military did not immediately comment on the strikes. Five people were killed while outside sites associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the newly created, secretive American organisation backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip's population, while 40 others were killed waiting for aid in other locations across the Gaza Strip. Dozens of people were killed in air strikes that pounded the Strip Wednesday night and Thursday morning, including 15 people killed in strikes that hit tents in the sprawling Muwasi zone, where many displaced Palestinians are sheltering. A separate strike on a school in Gaza City sheltering displaced people also killed 15 people. Gaza's health ministry said the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza had passed 57,000 since the war began on October 7, 2023. The toll includes 223 people who had been missing but have now been declared dead. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The deaths come as Israel and Hamas inch closer to a possible ceasefire that would end the 21-month war. Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. But Hamas's response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialise into an actual pause in fighting. The Israeli military blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas. The military said it targeted Hamas militants and rocket launchers in northern Gaza that launched rockets toward Israel on Wednesday. The UK-based human rights group Amnesty International condemned both Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which the US and Israel have tapped to take over aid distribution in Gaza from a network led by the United Nations. The Amnesty report said Israel has "turned aid-seeking into a booby trap for desperate starved Palestinians" through GHF's militarised hubs. The conditions have created "a deadly mix of hunger and disease pushing the population past breaking point", it said. Israel's foreign minister denounced the Amnesty report, saying the organisation had "joined forces with Hamas and fully adopted all of its propaganda lies". Gaza's health ministry says more than 500 Palestinians have been killed at or near GHF distribution centres in the past month, including five overnight between Wednesday and Thursday in Khan Younis. The centres are guarded by private security contractors and located near Israeli military positions. Palestinian officials and witnesses have accused Israeli forces of opening fire at crowds of people moving near the sites. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1200 people and taking about 250 hostages. The war has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. The war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of people hungry. Air strikes and shootings have killed 94 Palestinians in Gaza overnight, including 45 who were attempting to get much-needed humanitarian aid, hospitals and the health ministry say. Israel's military did not immediately comment on the strikes. Five people were killed while outside sites associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the newly created, secretive American organisation backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip's population, while 40 others were killed waiting for aid in other locations across the Gaza Strip. Dozens of people were killed in air strikes that pounded the Strip Wednesday night and Thursday morning, including 15 people killed in strikes that hit tents in the sprawling Muwasi zone, where many displaced Palestinians are sheltering. A separate strike on a school in Gaza City sheltering displaced people also killed 15 people. Gaza's health ministry said the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza had passed 57,000 since the war began on October 7, 2023. The toll includes 223 people who had been missing but have now been declared dead. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The deaths come as Israel and Hamas inch closer to a possible ceasefire that would end the 21-month war. Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. But Hamas's response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialise into an actual pause in fighting. The Israeli military blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas. The military said it targeted Hamas militants and rocket launchers in northern Gaza that launched rockets toward Israel on Wednesday. The UK-based human rights group Amnesty International condemned both Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which the US and Israel have tapped to take over aid distribution in Gaza from a network led by the United Nations. The Amnesty report said Israel has "turned aid-seeking into a booby trap for desperate starved Palestinians" through GHF's militarised hubs. The conditions have created "a deadly mix of hunger and disease pushing the population past breaking point", it said. Israel's foreign minister denounced the Amnesty report, saying the organisation had "joined forces with Hamas and fully adopted all of its propaganda lies". Gaza's health ministry says more than 500 Palestinians have been killed at or near GHF distribution centres in the past month, including five overnight between Wednesday and Thursday in Khan Younis. The centres are guarded by private security contractors and located near Israeli military positions. Palestinian officials and witnesses have accused Israeli forces of opening fire at crowds of people moving near the sites. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1200 people and taking about 250 hostages. The war has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. The war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of people hungry.
