Netanyahu denounces report IDF soldiers had orders to shoot Gaza aid-seekers
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have rejected a report in the left-leaning Israeli daily Haaretz that claimed Israeli soldiers were given orders to shoot at Palestinians approaching aid sites inside Gaza.
More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing aid at four main hubs across the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the hubs, moving through Israeli military zones where Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire on the aid seekers.
Haaretz quoted unnamed Israeli soldiers as saying they were told to fire at the crowds to keep them back, using unnecessary lethal force against people who appeared to pose no threat.
Mr Netanyahu and Mr Katz on Friday called the allegations in Haaretz's report "malicious falsehoods designed to defame" the Israeli military.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites, but rejected any allegations "of deliberate fire toward civilians".
GHF, meanwhile, said on social media it was "not aware of any of the incidents" in the report, but the allegations were too grave to ignore.
"We therefore call on Israel to investigate them and transparently publish the results in a timely manner," the group said.
Palestinians trying to find food have frequently encountered chaos and violence on their way to, and on arrival at, GHF aid sites.
In one such incident on Thursday, 18 people were killed after an Israeli air strike hit a street in central Gaza's Deir al Balah, where a crowd was collecting bags of flour from a Palestinian police unit, witnesses said.
The police unit had confiscated the food supplies from gangs that have been looting aid convoys across Gaza in recent weeks.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians are desperate for food after Israel imposed a two-and-a-half month aid blockade on Gaza, preventing any food, water and medicine from entering the territory pending the set-up of the GHF sites.
Looting of aid has escalated since Israel resumed entry of supplies into Gaza in mid-May, albeit only a fraction of what is needed.
Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmyiha told the Associated Press a further eight bodies arrived on Friday from a GHF site in Netzarim, although it was not immediately clear how they had died.
A GHF spokesperson challenged that assertion, saying they did not know of any incidents at or near their sites on Friday.
Twenty other bodies Dr Semlyiha's hospital received on Friday were the result of air strikes across northern Gaza, he said.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urged a return to the UN's long-tested distribution system for aid in Gaza, where he said Israeli military operations have created "a humanitarian crisis of horrific proportions".
"The search for food must never be a death sentence," Mr Guterres told UN reporters, while also urging Israeli and Palestinian leaders to show "political courage" and agree to a ceasefire like the one forged between Israel and Iran.
Humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders also condemned the GHF aid distribution system as "a slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid", and called for it to be immediately shut down.
An association of Gaza's influential clans and tribes said on Wednesday they had started an independent effort to guard aid convoys to prevent looting.
The National Gathering of Palestinian Clans and Tribes said it helped escort a rare shipment of flour that entered northern Gaza that evening.
AP/Reuters
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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have rejected a report in the left-leaning Israeli daily Haaretz that claimed Israeli soldiers were given orders to shoot at Palestinians approaching aid sites inside Gaza. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing aid at four main hubs across the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's health ministry. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the hubs, moving through Israeli military zones where Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire on the aid seekers. Haaretz quoted unnamed Israeli soldiers as saying they were told to fire at the crowds to keep them back, using unnecessary lethal force against people who appeared to pose no threat. Mr Netanyahu and Mr Katz on Friday called the allegations in Haaretz's report "malicious falsehoods designed to defame" the Israeli military. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites, but rejected any allegations "of deliberate fire toward civilians". GHF, meanwhile, said on social media it was "not aware of any of the incidents" in the report, but the allegations were too grave to ignore. "We therefore call on Israel to investigate them and transparently publish the results in a timely manner," the group said. Palestinians trying to find food have frequently encountered chaos and violence on their way to, and on arrival at, GHF aid sites. In one such incident on Thursday, 18 people were killed after an Israeli air strike hit a street in central Gaza's Deir al Balah, where a crowd was collecting bags of flour from a Palestinian police unit, witnesses said. The police unit had confiscated the food supplies from gangs that have been looting aid convoys across Gaza in recent weeks. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are desperate for food after Israel imposed a two-and-a-half month aid blockade on Gaza, preventing any food, water and medicine from entering the territory pending the set-up of the GHF sites. Looting of aid has escalated since Israel resumed entry of supplies into Gaza in mid-May, albeit only a fraction of what is needed. Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmyiha told the Associated Press a further eight bodies arrived on Friday from a GHF site in Netzarim, although it was not immediately clear how they had died. A GHF spokesperson challenged that assertion, saying they did not know of any incidents at or near their sites on Friday. Twenty other bodies Dr Semlyiha's hospital received on Friday were the result of air strikes across northern Gaza, he said. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urged a return to the UN's long-tested distribution system for aid in Gaza, where he said Israeli military operations have created "a humanitarian crisis of horrific proportions". "The search for food must never be a death sentence," Mr Guterres told UN reporters, while also urging Israeli and Palestinian leaders to show "political courage" and agree to a ceasefire like the one forged between Israel and Iran. Humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders also condemned the GHF aid distribution system as "a slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid", and called for it to be immediately shut down. An association of Gaza's influential clans and tribes said on Wednesday they had started an independent effort to guard aid convoys to prevent looting. The National Gathering of Palestinian Clans and Tribes said it helped escort a rare shipment of flour that entered northern Gaza that evening. AP/Reuters
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz emphatically reject a report that claimed Israeli soldiers were ordered to shoot at Palestinians approaching aid sites inside Gaza. They called the left-leaning Israeli daily Haaretz's findings "malicious falsehoods designed to defame" the military. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's health ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on the roads heading toward the sites. Reacting to the Haaretz piece, Israel's military confirmed it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. It rejected the article's allegations "of deliberate fire toward civilians". The foundation, which is backed by an American private contractor, has been distributing food boxes at four locations, mainly in the far south of Gaza, for the past month. "GHF is not aware of any of these incidents but these allegations are too grave to ignore and we therefore call on Israel to investigate them and transparently publish the results in a timely manner," the group said in a social media post. Palestinians trying to find food have frequently encountered chaos and violence on their way to and on arrival at the aid sites. Tens of thousands are desperate for food after Israel imposed a two-and-a-half month siege on Gaza, blocking all food, water and medicine from entering the territory pending the set-up of the GHF sites. A GHF spokesperson challenged the report, saying they did not know of any incidents at or near their sites on Friday. Twenty other bodies his hospital received on Friday came from air strikes across north Gaza, he said. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the hubs, moving through Israeli military zones where witnesses say Israeli troops regularly open fire with heavy barrages to control the crowds. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots. The group Doctors Without Borders on Friday condemned the distribution system as "a slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid" and called for it to be immediately shut down. More than 6000 people have been killed and more than 20,000 injured in Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed on March 18. Since the war began, more than 56,000 people have been killed and 132,000 injured, according to the health ministry. The Israel-Hamas war started following the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, when some 1200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage. About 50 of them still remain in captivity in Gaza. 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More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's health ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on the roads heading toward the sites. Reacting to the Haaretz piece, Israel's military confirmed it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. It rejected the article's allegations "of deliberate fire toward civilians". The foundation, which is backed by an American private contractor, has been distributing food boxes at four locations, mainly in the far south of Gaza, for the past month. "GHF is not aware of any of these incidents but these allegations are too grave to ignore and we therefore call on Israel to investigate them and transparently publish the results in a timely manner," the group said in a social media post. Palestinians trying to find food have frequently encountered chaos and violence on their way to and on arrival at the aid sites. Tens of thousands are desperate for food after Israel imposed a two-and-a-half month siege on Gaza, blocking all food, water and medicine from entering the territory pending the set-up of the GHF sites. A GHF spokesperson challenged the report, saying they did not know of any incidents at or near their sites on Friday. Twenty other bodies his hospital received on Friday came from air strikes across north Gaza, he said. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the hubs, moving through Israeli military zones where witnesses say Israeli troops regularly open fire with heavy barrages to control the crowds. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots. The group Doctors Without Borders on Friday condemned the distribution system as "a slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid" and called for it to be immediately shut down. More than 6000 people have been killed and more than 20,000 injured in Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed on March 18. Since the war began, more than 56,000 people have been killed and 132,000 injured, according to the health ministry. The Israel-Hamas war started following the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, when some 1200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage. About 50 of them still remain in captivity in Gaza. The latest deaths include six people killed and 10 wounded in Israeli strikes on a group of citizens near the Martyrs Roundabout in the Bureij Camp in central Gaza Strip, officials at Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said on Friday. The United Nations chief, meanwhile, urged leaders to show "political courage" and agree to a ceasefire like the one forged between Israel and Iran. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also urged a return to the UN's long-tested distribution system for aid in Gaza, where he said Israeli military operations have created "a humanitarian crisis of horrific proportions". "The search for food must never be a death sentence," Guterres told reporters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz emphatically reject a report that claimed Israeli soldiers were ordered to shoot at Palestinians approaching aid sites inside Gaza. They called the left-leaning Israeli daily Haaretz's findings "malicious falsehoods designed to defame" the military. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's health ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on the roads heading toward the sites. Reacting to the Haaretz piece, Israel's military confirmed it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. It rejected the article's allegations "of deliberate fire toward civilians". The foundation, which is backed by an American private contractor, has been distributing food boxes at four locations, mainly in the far south of Gaza, for the past month. "GHF is not aware of any of these incidents but these allegations are too grave to ignore and we therefore call on Israel to investigate them and transparently publish the results in a timely manner," the group said in a social media post. Palestinians trying to find food have frequently encountered chaos and violence on their way to and on arrival at the aid sites. Tens of thousands are desperate for food after Israel imposed a two-and-a-half month siege on Gaza, blocking all food, water and medicine from entering the territory pending the set-up of the GHF sites. A GHF spokesperson challenged the report, saying they did not know of any incidents at or near their sites on Friday. Twenty other bodies his hospital received on Friday came from air strikes across north Gaza, he said. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the hubs, moving through Israeli military zones where witnesses say Israeli troops regularly open fire with heavy barrages to control the crowds. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots. The group Doctors Without Borders on Friday condemned the distribution system as "a slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid" and called for it to be immediately shut down. More than 6000 people have been killed and more than 20,000 injured in Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed on March 18. Since the war began, more than 56,000 people have been killed and 132,000 injured, according to the health ministry. The Israel-Hamas war started following the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, when some 1200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage. About 50 of them still remain in captivity in Gaza. The latest deaths include six people killed and 10 wounded in Israeli strikes on a group of citizens near the Martyrs Roundabout in the Bureij Camp in central Gaza Strip, officials at Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said on Friday. The United Nations chief, meanwhile, urged leaders to show "political courage" and agree to a ceasefire like the one forged between Israel and Iran. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also urged a return to the UN's long-tested distribution system for aid in Gaza, where he said Israeli military operations have created "a humanitarian crisis of horrific proportions". "The search for food must never be a death sentence," Guterres told reporters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz emphatically reject a report that claimed Israeli soldiers were ordered to shoot at Palestinians approaching aid sites inside Gaza. They called the left-leaning Israeli daily Haaretz's findings "malicious falsehoods designed to defame" the military. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's health ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on the roads heading toward the sites. Reacting to the Haaretz piece, Israel's military confirmed it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. It rejected the article's allegations "of deliberate fire toward civilians". The foundation, which is backed by an American private contractor, has been distributing food boxes at four locations, mainly in the far south of Gaza, for the past month. "GHF is not aware of any of these incidents but these allegations are too grave to ignore and we therefore call on Israel to investigate them and transparently publish the results in a timely manner," the group said in a social media post. Palestinians trying to find food have frequently encountered chaos and violence on their way to and on arrival at the aid sites. Tens of thousands are desperate for food after Israel imposed a two-and-a-half month siege on Gaza, blocking all food, water and medicine from entering the territory pending the set-up of the GHF sites. A GHF spokesperson challenged the report, saying they did not know of any incidents at or near their sites on Friday. Twenty other bodies his hospital received on Friday came from air strikes across north Gaza, he said. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the hubs, moving through Israeli military zones where witnesses say Israeli troops regularly open fire with heavy barrages to control the crowds. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots. The group Doctors Without Borders on Friday condemned the distribution system as "a slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid" and called for it to be immediately shut down. More than 6000 people have been killed and more than 20,000 injured in Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed on March 18. Since the war began, more than 56,000 people have been killed and 132,000 injured, according to the health ministry. The Israel-Hamas war started following the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, when some 1200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage. About 50 of them still remain in captivity in Gaza. The latest deaths include six people killed and 10 wounded in Israeli strikes on a group of citizens near the Martyrs Roundabout in the Bureij Camp in central Gaza Strip, officials at Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said on Friday. The United Nations chief, meanwhile, urged leaders to show "political courage" and agree to a ceasefire like the one forged between Israel and Iran. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also urged a return to the UN's long-tested distribution system for aid in Gaza, where he said Israeli military operations have created "a humanitarian crisis of horrific proportions". "The search for food must never be a death sentence," Guterres told reporters.
