At least 5 local Gaza Humanitarian Foundation workers killed in ambush
June 12 (UPI) -- At least five Palestinians working for the Israel-U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation were killed and several injured after Hamas gunmen allegedly opened fire on a bus bringing them to one of its distribution hubs in southern Gaza.
GHF said the workers were among at least two dozen aboard the bus Wednesday night when they were killed west of the town of Khan Younis and that it feared others had been abducted.
"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," GHF said in a statement.
"We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms," it said, adding that GHF personnel and civilians receiving aid had been repeatedly threatened in recent days.
Israel Defense Forces said the incident vindicated its warnings that Hamas was intent on maintaining its stranglehold on the distribution of aid in the territory.
"We warned the world however we could: Hamas will stop at nothing to maintain control and prevent the effective delivery of aid. After their numerous attempts at spreading misinformation regarding the centers, intimidating the workers, and instigating violence next to the centers, Hamas chose murder and violence," the IDF said on X.
The new system of distributing Gaza humanitarian assistance that bypasses the United Nations and international aid NGO's has been plagued by problems since it began operating May 26.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry claimed 223 people have been killed and more than 1,500 injured trying to get to GHF's three designated hubs where food parcels are handed out daily, many of them shot by IDF troops. Israel denies opening fire on civilians, saying Hamas, which was intent on stopping people from accessing aid, was responsible.
On Wednesday, a hospital in Khan Younis claimed Israeli forces opened fire near one of the food distribution centers in Rafah, killing 14 people, while 25 were killed near a convoy of aid trucks and another GHF hub in the Netzarim corridor -- a central Israeli military buffer zone that dissects Gaza into two halves -- according to two Gaza City hospitals.
The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency again blamed Israeli forces, saying they opened fire but other reports said people were run over by trucks and that drivers and civilians were shot by unidentified Palestinian gunmen.
The IDF acknowledged firing toward suspects it said were moving toward its positions but insisted that only warning shots were discharged.
Hamas did not immediately comment on the latest incident but on Sunday warned its forces had "full authority and mandate to strike decisively against any entity or individual collaborating with the enemy's plans or with any rogue, criminal, or traitorous elements that violate the law and the traditions of our people."
"All agents, thieves, and armed criminal gangs are considered legitimate targets for the resistance and its security apparatus," said the group, which is designated as a terror organisation by the United States, European Union, Britain and most Western countries.
GHF's Facebook page announced Thursday that two of its three hubs, in the Tal Sultan neighborhood of Rafah and the "Saudi" district, were closed. It was unclear whether they had been closed after aid parcels had been handed out for the day, or had never opened in the first place.
On Wednesday evening, GHF posted a notice on the site, saying both sites would open to distribute boxes of aid at 12 noon, providing detailed instructions on how to get to the sites and urging people to avoid approaching or gathering outside the compounds ahead of time.
The new aid distribution system was put in place amid fears of a looming famine in Gaza after Israel imposed an aid blockade in March, saying it was necessary to prevent aid being brought in by the U.N. and international aid charities from being stolen by Hamas.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Medscape
2 hours ago
- Medscape
ED Intubation May Raise Mortality Risk in Active Hemorrhage
TOPLINE: In a cohort study of patients with active hemorrhage, endotracheal intubation in the emergency department (ED) was associated with higher mortality rates, more frequent ICU admissions, and a greater need for blood transfusion compared with intubation in the operating room (OR). METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a nationwide, retrospective cohort analysis using data from the Israel National Trauma Registry between 2013 and 2023. A total of 1527 patients (median age, 29 years; 89.6% men) who required transfer to the OR for hemorrhage control surgery within 90 minutes of ED arrival were included. A total of 279 participants underwent endotracheal intubation in the ED and 1248 were intubated upon arrival in the OR. Indications for immediate intubation in the ED included having a Glasgow Coma Scale score < 9 or serious injuries (Abbreviated Injury Score [AIS] ≥ 3) to the head, face, neck, or thorax. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge for patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 14, and secondary outcomes included blood transfusion requirements and ICU admission following hemorrhage control procedures. Patients were followed up until discharge from their respective trauma care centers, and potential confounders included age, sex, systolic blood pressure on admission, ISS, and blunt vs penetrating trauma. TAKEAWAY: Patients intubated in the ED had higher in-hospital mortality (5.0% vs 0.5%; P < .001), higher ICU admission rates (63.1% vs 28.9%; P < .001), and a greater need for blood transfusion in the ED (49.8% vs 15.0%; P < .001) than those intubated in the OR. After adjustment for confounders, ED intubation was independently associated with increased mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.01; P = .006). In the matched cohort, ED intubation trended toward higher mortality (8.0% vs 2.9%; aOR, 3.10; P = .065) Among the patients intubated in the ED, 44.1% were hospitalized for 14 or more days, whereas 19.6% of those intubated in the OR were hospitalized for the same duration ( P < .001). For the whole cohort, intubation in the ED was independently associated with increased ICU admission (aOR, 3.17; P < .001) and a greater need for blood product transfusion (aOR, 4.81; P < .001). IN PRACTICE: "Trauma [care] providers should prioritize blood-based resuscitation to optimize the patient's physiology before proceeding with intubation, while also minimizing delays to definitive care in the OR. Airway management, particularly in the ED, should be performed only when there is a clear indication and, whenever possible, after the patient has been physiologically optimized," the authors wrote. SOURCE: The study was led by Danny Epstein, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel. It was published online on June 14, 2025, in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. LIMITATIONS: The study was limited by incomplete registry data on the specific clinical indications and timing of ED intubations. The exact factors contributing to mortality could not be determined, and the exclusion of patients who died before reaching the OR may have led to underestimated mortality rates. Additionally, the registry did not capture patient comorbidities, which could have influenced hemodynamic stability and intubation-related complications. DISCLOSURES: The authors reported no funding sources or relevant conflicts of interest. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Israeli strikes kill at least 36 people in Gaza, officials say, as some aid restrictions are eased
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes killed at least 36 Palestinians in multiple locations across Gaza on Monday, local health officials said, a day after Israel eased aid restrictions in the face of a worsening humanitarian crisis in the territory. The dead included a newborn who was delivered in a complex surgery after his mother, who was seven months pregnant, was killed in a strike, according to the Nasser Hospital. Israel announced Sunday that the military would pause operations in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi for 10 hours a day until further notice to allow for the improved flow of aid to Palestinians in Gaza, where concern over hunger has grown, and designate secure routes for aid delivery. Israel said it would continue military operations alongside the new humanitarian measures. The Israeli military had no immediate comment about the latest strikes, which occurred outside the time frame for the pause Israel declared would be held between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Aid agencies have welcomed the new aid measures, which also included allowing airdrops into Gaza, but said they were not enough to counter the rising hunger in the Palestinian territory. Images of emaciated children have sparked outrage around the world, including from Israel's close allies. U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called the images of emaciated and malnourished children in Gaza 'terrible.' Israel has restricted aid to varying degrees throughout the war. In March, it cut off the entry of all goods, including fuel, food and medicine to pressure Hamas to free hostages. Israel partially lifted those restrictions in May but also pushed ahead on a new U.S.-backed aid delivery system that has been wracked by chaos and violence. Traditional aid providers also have encountered a similar breakdown in law and order surrounding their aid deliveries. Most of Gaza's population now relies on aid. Accessing food has become a challenge that some Palestinians have risked their lives for. The Awda hospital in central Gaza said it received the bodies of seven Palestinians who it said were killed Monday by Israeli fire close to an aid distribution site run by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The hospital said 20 others were wounded close to the site. GHF did not immediately respond to a request for comment. As President Donald Trump shows off his golf courses for Britain's leader, crisis in Gaza loomsThe pregnant woman and her child were killed along with 11 others after their house was struck in the Muwasi area, west of the southern city of Khan Younis, according to a hospital run by the Palestinian Red Crescent. Another strike hit a two-story house in the western Japanese neighborhood of Khan Younis, killing at least 11 people, more than half of them women and children, said the Nasser Hospital, which received the casualties. At least five others were killed in strikes elsewhere in Gaza, according to local hospitals. What to expect, and what not to, at the UN meeting on an Israel-Palestinian two-state solutionThe Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on most of the strikes. It said it was not aware of one strike in Gaza City during the pause that health officials said killed one person. In its Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. It still holds 50, more than half Israel believes to be dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says over half of the dead are women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Israeli strikes kill at least 36 people in Gaza, officials say, as some aid restrictions are eased
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes killed at least 36 Palestinians in multiple locations across Gaza on Monday, local health officials said, a day after Israel eased aid restrictions in the face of a worsening humanitarian crisis in the territory. The dead included a newborn who was delivered in a complex surgery after his mother, who was seven months pregnant, was killed in a strike, according to the Nasser Hospital. Israel announced Sunday that the military would pause operations in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi for 10 hours a day until further notice to allow for the improved flow of aid to Palestinians in Gaza, where concern over hunger has grown, and designate secure routes for aid delivery. Israel said it would continue military operations alongside the new humanitarian measures. The Israeli military had no immediate comment about the latest strikes, which occurred outside the time frame for the pause Israel declared would be held between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Aid agencies have welcomed the new aid measures, which also included allowing airdrops into Gaza, but said they were not enough to counter the rising hunger in the Palestinian territory. Images of emaciated children have sparked outrage around the world, including from Israel's close allies . U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called the images of emaciated and malnourished children in Gaza 'terrible.' Israel has restricted aid to varying degrees throughout the war. In March, it cut off the entry of all goods, including fuel, food and medicine to pressure Hamas to free hostages. Israel partially lifted those restrictions in May but also pushed ahead on a new U.S.-backed aid delivery system that has been wracked by chaos and violence. Traditional aid providers also have encountered a similar breakdown in law and order surrounding their aid deliveries. Most of Gaza's population now relies on aid. Accessing food has become a challenge that some Palestinians have risked their lives for. The Awda hospital in central Gaza said it received the bodies of seven Palestinians who it said were killed Monday by Israeli fire close to an aid distribution site run by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The hospital said 20 others were wounded close to the site. GHF did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The pregnant woman and her child were killed along with 11 others after their house was struck in the Muwasi area, west of the southern city of Khan Younis, according to a hospital run by the Palestinian Red Crescent. Another strike hit a two-story house in the western Japanese neighborhood of Khan Younis, killing at least 11 people, more than half of them women and children, said the Nasser Hospital, which received the casualties. At least five others were killed in strikes elsewhere in Gaza, according to local hospitals. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on most of the strikes. It said it was not aware of one strike in Gaza City during the pause that health officials said killed one person. In its Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. It still holds 50, more than half Israel believes to be dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says over half of the dead are women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. ___ Follow AP's war coverage at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
