'Countless' Gazans killed while awaiting aid: UN agency
Shortly after crossing through the northern Zikim crossing into Gaza, a 25-truck convoy from the World Food Programme (WFP) encountered large crowds of civilians waiting to access food supplies, the UN agency said on social media platform X.
"As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire."
The incident, on Sunday morning local time, resulted in the loss of "countless lives" with many more suffering critical injuries, the WFP said.
"These people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation. This terrible incident underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which humanitarian operations are forced to be conducted in Gaza."
Local health authorities reported 67 Palestinians were killed, while Palestinian news agency WAFA reported 58 dead and at least 60 injured.
The Israeli military said warning shots had been fired amid "an imminent threat" and expressed doubts about the reported casualty figures.
The details of the incident are currently being investigated, the military said, but added an initial review indicated that the reported casualty figures do not match the information provided by the army.
The information could not be independently verified at first.
WAFA, citing medical sources, reported that 132 people had been killed in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including 94 aid seekers.
The UN and aid organisations report catastrophic conditions in the Gaza Strip, whose almost two million residents are almost entirely dependent on aid to survive.
Gaza residents have been subjected to almost 22 months of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
According to UN figures, hundreds have died in the vicinity of aid distribution points and around aid convoys since the end of May.
WAFA put the death toll from Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 at at least 58,895, with more than 140,980 injured. The agency cites Palestinian medical sources for its figures.
The Israeli army is expanding its operations in the city of Deir al-Balah in the centre of the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from an army spokesman, who called on residents to leave the area in a post in Arabic on X.
The Israeli military continues "to operate with intensity to eliminate terrorists and to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area and is expanding its activities into new areas," the army said in a statement.
"For your safety, immediately evacuate southward toward Al-Mawasi."
Al-Mawasi in the south-west of the embattled area was designated by Israel as a "humanitarian zone" earlier in the war.
However, the Israeli military has since also attacked there multiple times. The army said targets included facilities of Hamas.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned the mass displacement order had dealt "yet another devastating blow" to the Gaza Strip.
Initial estimates indicated that between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the area at the time the order was issued, including some 30,000 people sheltering in 57 displacement sites, the UN office said.
The newly designated area included several humanitarian warehouses, four primary health clinics, four medical points, and critical water infrastructure, it said.
"Any damage to this infrastructure will have life-threatening consequences."
A large number of starving people in the Gaza Strip have been killed by Israeli fire while waiting for UN aid trucks, the Rome-based World Food Programme says.
Shortly after crossing through the northern Zikim crossing into Gaza, a 25-truck convoy from the World Food Programme (WFP) encountered large crowds of civilians waiting to access food supplies, the UN agency said on social media platform X.
"As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire."
The incident, on Sunday morning local time, resulted in the loss of "countless lives" with many more suffering critical injuries, the WFP said.
"These people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation. This terrible incident underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which humanitarian operations are forced to be conducted in Gaza."
Local health authorities reported 67 Palestinians were killed, while Palestinian news agency WAFA reported 58 dead and at least 60 injured.
The Israeli military said warning shots had been fired amid "an imminent threat" and expressed doubts about the reported casualty figures.
The details of the incident are currently being investigated, the military said, but added an initial review indicated that the reported casualty figures do not match the information provided by the army.
The information could not be independently verified at first.
WAFA, citing medical sources, reported that 132 people had been killed in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including 94 aid seekers.
The UN and aid organisations report catastrophic conditions in the Gaza Strip, whose almost two million residents are almost entirely dependent on aid to survive.
Gaza residents have been subjected to almost 22 months of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
According to UN figures, hundreds have died in the vicinity of aid distribution points and around aid convoys since the end of May.
WAFA put the death toll from Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 at at least 58,895, with more than 140,980 injured. The agency cites Palestinian medical sources for its figures.
The Israeli army is expanding its operations in the city of Deir al-Balah in the centre of the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from an army spokesman, who called on residents to leave the area in a post in Arabic on X.
The Israeli military continues "to operate with intensity to eliminate terrorists and to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area and is expanding its activities into new areas," the army said in a statement.
"For your safety, immediately evacuate southward toward Al-Mawasi."
Al-Mawasi in the south-west of the embattled area was designated by Israel as a "humanitarian zone" earlier in the war.
However, the Israeli military has since also attacked there multiple times. The army said targets included facilities of Hamas.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned the mass displacement order had dealt "yet another devastating blow" to the Gaza Strip.
Initial estimates indicated that between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the area at the time the order was issued, including some 30,000 people sheltering in 57 displacement sites, the UN office said.
The newly designated area included several humanitarian warehouses, four primary health clinics, four medical points, and critical water infrastructure, it said.
"Any damage to this infrastructure will have life-threatening consequences."
A large number of starving people in the Gaza Strip have been killed by Israeli fire while waiting for UN aid trucks, the Rome-based World Food Programme says.
Shortly after crossing through the northern Zikim crossing into Gaza, a 25-truck convoy from the World Food Programme (WFP) encountered large crowds of civilians waiting to access food supplies, the UN agency said on social media platform X.
"As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire."
The incident, on Sunday morning local time, resulted in the loss of "countless lives" with many more suffering critical injuries, the WFP said.
"These people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation. This terrible incident underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which humanitarian operations are forced to be conducted in Gaza."
Local health authorities reported 67 Palestinians were killed, while Palestinian news agency WAFA reported 58 dead and at least 60 injured.
The Israeli military said warning shots had been fired amid "an imminent threat" and expressed doubts about the reported casualty figures.
The details of the incident are currently being investigated, the military said, but added an initial review indicated that the reported casualty figures do not match the information provided by the army.
The information could not be independently verified at first.
WAFA, citing medical sources, reported that 132 people had been killed in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including 94 aid seekers.
The UN and aid organisations report catastrophic conditions in the Gaza Strip, whose almost two million residents are almost entirely dependent on aid to survive.
Gaza residents have been subjected to almost 22 months of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
According to UN figures, hundreds have died in the vicinity of aid distribution points and around aid convoys since the end of May.
WAFA put the death toll from Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 at at least 58,895, with more than 140,980 injured. The agency cites Palestinian medical sources for its figures.
The Israeli army is expanding its operations in the city of Deir al-Balah in the centre of the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from an army spokesman, who called on residents to leave the area in a post in Arabic on X.
The Israeli military continues "to operate with intensity to eliminate terrorists and to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area and is expanding its activities into new areas," the army said in a statement.
"For your safety, immediately evacuate southward toward Al-Mawasi."
Al-Mawasi in the south-west of the embattled area was designated by Israel as a "humanitarian zone" earlier in the war.
However, the Israeli military has since also attacked there multiple times. The army said targets included facilities of Hamas.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned the mass displacement order had dealt "yet another devastating blow" to the Gaza Strip.
Initial estimates indicated that between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the area at the time the order was issued, including some 30,000 people sheltering in 57 displacement sites, the UN office said.
The newly designated area included several humanitarian warehouses, four primary health clinics, four medical points, and critical water infrastructure, it said.
"Any damage to this infrastructure will have life-threatening consequences."
A large number of starving people in the Gaza Strip have been killed by Israeli fire while waiting for UN aid trucks, the Rome-based World Food Programme says.
Shortly after crossing through the northern Zikim crossing into Gaza, a 25-truck convoy from the World Food Programme (WFP) encountered large crowds of civilians waiting to access food supplies, the UN agency said on social media platform X.
"As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire."
The incident, on Sunday morning local time, resulted in the loss of "countless lives" with many more suffering critical injuries, the WFP said.
"These people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation. This terrible incident underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which humanitarian operations are forced to be conducted in Gaza."
Local health authorities reported 67 Palestinians were killed, while Palestinian news agency WAFA reported 58 dead and at least 60 injured.
The Israeli military said warning shots had been fired amid "an imminent threat" and expressed doubts about the reported casualty figures.
The details of the incident are currently being investigated, the military said, but added an initial review indicated that the reported casualty figures do not match the information provided by the army.
The information could not be independently verified at first.
WAFA, citing medical sources, reported that 132 people had been killed in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including 94 aid seekers.
The UN and aid organisations report catastrophic conditions in the Gaza Strip, whose almost two million residents are almost entirely dependent on aid to survive.
Gaza residents have been subjected to almost 22 months of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
According to UN figures, hundreds have died in the vicinity of aid distribution points and around aid convoys since the end of May.
WAFA put the death toll from Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 at at least 58,895, with more than 140,980 injured. The agency cites Palestinian medical sources for its figures.
The Israeli army is expanding its operations in the city of Deir al-Balah in the centre of the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from an army spokesman, who called on residents to leave the area in a post in Arabic on X.
The Israeli military continues "to operate with intensity to eliminate terrorists and to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area and is expanding its activities into new areas," the army said in a statement.
"For your safety, immediately evacuate southward toward Al-Mawasi."
Al-Mawasi in the south-west of the embattled area was designated by Israel as a "humanitarian zone" earlier in the war.
However, the Israeli military has since also attacked there multiple times. The army said targets included facilities of Hamas.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned the mass displacement order had dealt "yet another devastating blow" to the Gaza Strip.
Initial estimates indicated that between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the area at the time the order was issued, including some 30,000 people sheltering in 57 displacement sites, the UN office said.
The newly designated area included several humanitarian warehouses, four primary health clinics, four medical points, and critical water infrastructure, it said.
"Any damage to this infrastructure will have life-threatening consequences."
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The childcare subsidy is predicted to exceed $16.2 billion in 2025/26 and helps families manage childcare costs but access and the amount depend on specific eligibility criteria. Yet services such as BubbaDesk and CoWork Creche, which combine co-working spaces with flexible childcare, are not supported by the subsidy. While the price per day is based on the average of local daycare centres, the lack of subsidy means many parents cannot afford to use the service. "The demand is huge as traditional daycare doesn't always fit with people's needs," BubbaDesk founder Lauren Perrett said. "When you become a parent, you wonder why close-proximity care hasn't been built into traditional office spaces - it's a no-brainer. "Parents are delaying their return to work and considering not returning at all because they don't feel their kids are safe in out-of-home care and the instinct is to keep our babies close." 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The crackdown is part of the government's promise to guarantee universal access to early education and while welcomed by parents and advocates, there are also calls for a national early-childhood commission to ensure consistent oversight and accountability. Advocacy group For Parents has gone a step further, launching a petition calling on the government to provide equitable support for families who choose alternatives to centre-based care. In an economy where most families need both parents to work, there should be more choice when it comes to childcare, says co-founder Cecelia Cobb. "This is about giving families more freedom because the way that the subsidy currently works is that centre-based childcare is the only option many can afford," she told AAP. "There is a huge potential for additional workplace participation, as lots of people delay going back to work until they can get into their preferred centre." The childcare subsidy is predicted to exceed $16.2 billion in 2025/26 and helps families manage childcare costs but access and the amount depend on specific eligibility criteria. Yet services such as BubbaDesk and CoWork Creche, which combine co-working spaces with flexible childcare, are not supported by the subsidy. While the price per day is based on the average of local daycare centres, the lack of subsidy means many parents cannot afford to use the service. "The demand is huge as traditional daycare doesn't always fit with people's needs," BubbaDesk founder Lauren Perrett said. "When you become a parent, you wonder why close-proximity care hasn't been built into traditional office spaces - it's a no-brainer. "Parents are delaying their return to work and considering not returning at all because they don't feel their kids are safe in out-of-home care and the instinct is to keep our babies close." Illawarra-based mum Jenna Bush placed her baby girl Grace on multiple childcare waitlists when she was born but received few placement offers. The one place she was offered and toured gave her the "ick" and she could not bring herself to enrol Grace there. Instead, she started using BubbaDesk as she was able to work remotely from the co-working space. "Being in close proximity and having that contact to her throughout the day gives me that peace of mind," she said. "But financially, even though I can claim some of the co-working part through tax, reducing that fortnightly payment would be really helpful if the subsidy was expanded." Liberal senator Maria Kovacic is among those backing the For Parents petition. She says it's not about "tearing down" formal childcare centres. "Expanding the subsidy in the way these families are calling for would not only deliver flexibility," she told parliament on Wednesday. "It would (also) begin to recognise in a tangible way the value of informal care and the unpaid labour that holds up our economy and our communities." A push to expand Australia's childcare subsidy to include more care options has the support of parents, advocates and politicians as the government remains focused on improving standards at existing centres. A bill empowering authorities to strip funding from childcare operators who fail to meet safety standards, among other measures, was this week fast-tracked during the first sitting of the 48th federal parliament. Operators who fall down on quality, safety and compliance standards could be cut out of subsidies, which typically cover a large proportion of parents' fees, and also blocked from opening new centres. Education Minister Jason Clare says he doesn't want to see funding removed and that the legislation should more compel providers to improve standards in the wake of recent abuse cases. The crackdown is part of the government's promise to guarantee universal access to early education and while welcomed by parents and advocates, there are also calls for a national early-childhood commission to ensure consistent oversight and accountability. Advocacy group For Parents has gone a step further, launching a petition calling on the government to provide equitable support for families who choose alternatives to centre-based care. In an economy where most families need both parents to work, there should be more choice when it comes to childcare, says co-founder Cecelia Cobb. "This is about giving families more freedom because the way that the subsidy currently works is that centre-based childcare is the only option many can afford," she told AAP. "There is a huge potential for additional workplace participation, as lots of people delay going back to work until they can get into their preferred centre." 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"It would (also) begin to recognise in a tangible way the value of informal care and the unpaid labour that holds up our economy and our communities."
