Gaza civil defence says Israeli fire kills 93 aid seekers
Eighty were killed as truckloads of aid arrived in the north, while nine others were reported shot near an aid point close to Rafah in the south, where dozens of people lost their lives just 24 hours earlier.
Four were killed near another aid site in Khan Yunis, also in the south, agency spokesman Mahmud Basal told AFP.
The UN World Food Programme said its 25-truck convoy carrying food aid "encountered massive crowds of hungry civilians which came under gunfire" near Gaza City, soon after it crossed from Israel and cleared checkpoints.
Israel's military disputed the death toll and said soldiers had fired warning shots "to remove an immediate threat posed to them" as thousands gathered near Gaza City.
Deaths of civilians seeking aid have become a regular occurrence in Gaza, with the authorities blaming Israeli fire as crowds facing chronic shortages of food and other essentials flock in huge numbers to aid centres.
The UN said earlier this month that nearly 800 aid-seekers had been killed since late May, including on the routes of aid convoys.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
13 minutes ago
- First Post
Israel controls 75% of Gaza, it's now moving into the other part
Deir al-Balah, one of Gaza's few areas with standing buildings, was spared by the IDF so far due to intelligence suggesting hostages were held there read more The Ansar Mosque and an adjacent cemetery in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. Source: AFP Israel on Sunday (July 20) announced its first military operation into Deir al-Balah, a central Gaza town previously avoided due to concerns for hostages, as it accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of obstructing US-mediated ceasefire talks. The Israeli military ordered Palestinians in parts of Deir al-Balah to evacuate south to a tent city for civilians displaced by the 21-month war. The fighting in the besieged territory has intensified after a truce collapsed in early May. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israel's control over flow of humanitarian aid Tensions have escalated over the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel shifted from traditional aid channels to the US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which it claimed would weaken Hamas. The UN has labelled the GHF discriminatory and inadequate to prevent famine for many Gazans. Concurrently, Israel launched operations to seize Palestinian territory, aiming to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages from its October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. That assault killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 250 abducted, with about 50 hostages remaining, 20 believed alive. Hamas has not disclosed their locations, threatening executions if Israeli forces approach. Israel now controls roughly 75 per cent of Gaza, but Hamas insists on a full Israeli withdrawal for any ceasefire or hostage release, a demand Israel rejects. Why has Israel avoided Deir al-Balah so far? Deir al-Balah, one of Gaza's few areas with standing buildings, was spared due to intelligence suggesting hostages were held there, though it's uncertain if this still holds. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed alarm over the Deir al-Balah operation, stating, 'For the hostages, this is not a negotiating 'bargaining chip,' but a clear and present danger to their fates. Enough! A sweeping majority of the nation of Israel wants the war ended in a comprehensive deal that returns all of the hostages.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Talks on to secure release of hostages On July 6, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dispatched negotiators to Qatar, a Hamas intermediary, before a White House visit where he and US President Donald Trump expressed optimism for a diplomatic resolution to free 10 living and 18 deceased hostages. Minister Gila Gamliel accused Hamas of stalling, anticipating progress once Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, joins talks. 'The moment he runs things in Doha, we will see what the ramifications are,' she told Israel's Army Radio. Hamas, designated a terrorist group by much of the West, warned that the deadlock threatens hostages. 'We have sustained their survival as much as possible, until now,' said Abu Obeida, Hamas's armed wing spokesperson, on Friday. 'If the criminal enemy obstructs or withdraws from this round, we cannot guarantee a return to partial deals or to the proposal for the release of 10 captives.'
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
UK, France and 23 other countries say the war in Gaza 'must end now'
LONDON: Twenty-five countries, including Britain, France and a host of European nations issued a joint statement on Monday that puts more pressure on Israel, saying the war in Gaza "must end now" and Israel must comply with international law. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The foreign ministers of countries including Australia, Canada and Japan said "the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths." They condemned "the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food." The statement described as "horrifying" the deaths of over 800 Palestinians who were seeking aid, according to the figures released by Gaza's Health Ministry and the U.N. human rights office. "The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity," the statement said. "The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law," it added. Gaza's population of more than 2 million Palestinians is in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, now relying largely on the limited aid allowed into the territory. Many people have been displaced multiple times. Most of the food supplies Israel has allowed into Gaza go to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor backed by Israel. Since the group's operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, according to witnesses and health officials. The statement's signatories included the foreign ministers of about 20 European countries as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and the EU commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management, Hadja Lahbib. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Notably absent from the list were the US and Germany. The signatories called for an immediate ceasefire, adding they are prepared to take action to support a political pathway to peace in the region. The statement from so many of Israel's Western allies deepens its isolation 21 months into its war against Hamas, which has pushed Gaza to the brink of famine, sparked worldwide protests and led to an international arrest warrant against Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel rejects criticism of its wartime conduct, saying its forces have acted lawfully and blaming civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in populated areas. It says it has allowed enough food in to sustain Gaza and accuses Hamas of siphoning much of it off. The United Nations says there is no evidence for widespread diversion of humanitarian aid. Hamas triggered the war when militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty remain in Gaza, but fewer than half are thought to be alive. Israel's military offensive has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians but the ministry says more than half of the dead are women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Israel and Hamas have been engaged in ceasefire talks, but there appears to be no breakthrough and it's not clear whether any truce would bring the war to a lasting halt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly asserted that expanding Israel's military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas in negotiations.
Mint
43 minutes ago
- Mint
Harvard vs Trump: University urges court to reinstate $2.5 billion in research grants cut by Trump Administration
Harvard University will urge a federal judge on Monday (July 21) to restore nearly $2.5 billion in canceled federal research grants and halt further efforts by the Trump administration to cut off funding. The hearing before US District Judge Allison Burroughs marks a pivotal moment in a mounting legal clash between the world-renowned university and the White House. Harvard, the country's oldest university, says hundreds of critical research projects — from cancer treatments to infectious disease control — are now at risk. 'This case involves the Government's efforts to use the withholding of federal funding as leverage to gain control of academic decisionmaking at Harvard,' the university stated in its lawsuit. 'All told, the tradeoff put to Harvard and other universities is clear: Allow the Government to micromanage your academic institution or jeopardize the institution's ability to pursue medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, and innovative solutions.' The Trump administration argues the funding cuts are justified and not retaliatory. 'The Trump administration's proposition is simple and commonsense,' said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields. 'Don't allow antisemitism and DEI to run your campus, don't break the law, and protect the civil liberties of all students.' According to Fields, Harvard failed to comply with demands from a federal antisemitism task force in an April 11 letter that called for sweeping changes in governance, hiring, admissions, and academic programming. Harvard says it has taken meaningful steps to support Jewish and Israeli students, who faced what President Alan Garber called 'vicious and reprehensible' treatment following the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. However, the school contends that the administration's demands extended well beyond concerns about antisemitism. The administration's efforts go far beyond addressing campus safety, Garber said, adding they are an unlawful attempt to regulate the intellectual conditions at Harvard by controlling who we hire and what we teach. Judge Burroughs is being asked to declare the grant cancellations unlawful. The Trump administration, however, argues that Burroughs lacks jurisdiction to hear the case, asserting that grant contracts can be revoked if projects don't align with federal policy. In response, Harvard emphasised the human and national costs: 'The government fails to explain how the termination of funding for research to treat cancer, support veterans, and improve national security addresses antisemitism,' the university said in court filings. Research funding is just one front in a broader effort by the Trump administration to pressure the university. The administration has: Garber warned that the cumulative financial impact could strip Harvard of nearly $1 billion annually, leading to layoffs and a hiring freeze. A second lawsuit filed by the American Association of University Professors and its Harvard faculty chapter has been consolidated with the university's suit, amplifying the legal and academic implications.
