
At least 73 people seeking aid in Gaza killed by Israeli gunfire on Sunday, health ministry says
At least 73 people were killed and around 150 people injured by Israeli gunfire in Gaza while seeking aid on Sunday, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Some 67 people were killed in northern Gaza, the ministry said, while six others were killed in Khan Younis in the south of the Strip. It is unclear whether the 67 people reported killed in northern Gaza were all killed in the same place or in multiple incidents. It marks one of the highest reported death tolls among recent, repeated cases in which aid seekers have been killed.
The Israel Defense Forces said that troops had 'fired warning shots in order to remove an immediate threat posed to them' after 'a gathering of thousands of Gazans was identified in the northern Gaza Strip.'
'The IDF is aware of the claim regarding casualties in the area, and the details of the incident are still being examined,' the Israeli military said, without disclosing any casualty figures.
The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) said a 25-truck convoy carrying vital food assistance crossed the Zikim border on Sunday morning aiming to reach communities in northern Gaza.
'Shortly after passing the final checkpoint beyond the Zikim crossing point into Gaza, the convoy encountered large crowds of civilians anxiously waiting to access desperately needed food supplies,' the WFP wrote on X. 'As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire.'
Shooting near humanitarian missions, convoys and food distributions 'must stop immediately,' the WFP added, and said the latest incident 'underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which humanitarian operations are forced to be conducted in Gaza.'
The Israeli military on Sunday also issued a warning to residents in a number of areas in northern Gaza, including the cities of Beit Lahia, Jabalya and Beit Hanoun.
'These areas are active combat zones and extremely dangerous,' the IDF's Arabic language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said Sunday. 'The Israel Defense Forces are operating in these areas with very intense force. For your safety, movement to these areas is strictly prohibited. Those who heard have been warned.'
According to Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, people were shot at by the Israeli army on Sunday morning while attempting to get aid northwest of Gaza City, which is in the north of the enclave.
'Al-Shifa Medical Complex is in a catastrophic state due to the overwhelming number of martyrs, injuries and starving civilians,' Abu Salmiya told CNN in a statement.
'There have been a large number of deaths and injuries among those seeking aid, and ambulances and civilian vehicles have not stopped arriving, transporting the wounded and the dead from the northwestern areas of Gaza,' he continued.
'A significant number of civilians, and even medical staff, are arriving in a state of fainting or collapse due to severe malnutrition,' he said.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said that its Al-Saraya Field Hospital in Gaza City received 120 injured people, some of them in critical condition, on Sunday. It said it also received two dead bodies.
Palestinians gather as they carry aid supplies in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on July 20, 2025.
Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
'Israeli forces targeted civilians waiting for aid arriving from the Zikim area, north of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. Due to the large number of casualties received by the hospital, new beds were urgently opened to ensure adequate treatment for the injured, as the hospital's capacity is estimated at only 68 beds,' the Palestinian Red Crescent said.
Meanwhile, residents in the central Gaza city of Deir Al Balah said they were forced to evacuate on Sunday after the IDF dropped flyers warning them to leave the area.
'The planes came and dropped many leaflets on us; the entire sky was covered with leaflets on the houses, the streets and everywhere, stating that we had to evacuate from certain areas,' one resident, Thurayya Abu Qunneis, told CNN.
'We are living on edge. We can't sleep, eat or drink. There is no flour, no anything, and we are hungry,' she said. 'We are dying, and our children are dying of hunger.'
Another resident, Mohammad Al Najiri, told CNN: 'We were sitting here in the morning when suddenly they sent us messages and warnings telling us to leave. Where should we go? There is no place to evacuate to… we don't know where to go.'
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) said in a statement Sunday that Israel's evacuation orders 'endanger vital humanitarian and primary healthcare sites… and are accelerating the systematic dismantling of Gaza's already-decimated healthcare system,' adding that several humanitarian organizations' offices were 'ordered to evacuate immediately,' and nine clinics, five shelters and a community kitchen were forced to shut down amid the orders.
In another incident on Saturday, at least 32 people were killed while seeking aid near a distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to the Palestinian health ministry and witnesses.
The Israeli military said troops had 'identified suspects who approached them during operational activity in the Rafah area' about one kilometer from the aid site 'at night-time when it's not active.'
The IDF said troops had called on the suspects 'to distance themselves, and after they did not comply, the troops fired warning shots.' It said it was aware of reports regarding casualties and the incident was under review.
According to Gaza's Hamas-run Government Media Office, some 995 people have been killed while attempting to obtain food near aid distribution sites between May 27 and Sunday.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said earlier this month that nearly 800 Gazans had been killed trying to access aid between late May and July 7.
CNN's Eugenia Yosef and Abeer Salman contributed to this report.
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Egypt Independent
an hour ago
- Egypt Independent
As protesters are hit with terrorism charges, critics accuse Kenya's government of criminalizing dissent
Nairobi, Kenya CNN — One of Kenya's most prominent human rights activists has been released on bail after being charged with unlawful possession of ammunition, as critics accuse authorities of ramping up efforts to stifle dissent in the East African country. Boniface Mwangi was arrested over the weekend 'in connection with the facilitation of terrorist activities' during the June 25 protests, Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced on social media on Sunday, drawing immediate outrage among activists. When the 42-year-old award-winning photographer appeared in court on Monday, the terrorism charges had been downgraded to two counts of 'possession of ammunition without a valid firearm certificate' because of teargas canisters and blank rounds allegedly found at his office. His arrest came as activists say more than 100 protesters have been charged with terror-related offenses, arson and money laundering in the past month over demonstrations sparked by widespread dissatisfaction with President William Ruto's administration – especially among the youth whose support propelled him into power. 'I'm known as a human rights defender, not a terrorist,' Mwangi told CNN on Monday evening after he was released on bail. 'I'm so fired up; I'm not scared at all. The only thing that can stop me is a bullet in my head, but as long as I'm alive I'll keep organizing for regime change. The government we have in power is not working for the people.' Mwangi, who has been critical of successive Kenyan governments and describes himself as 'the people's watchman,' saidhe was arrested at home by plainclothes policemen on Saturday and taken to his office in the capital Nairobi. He claimed policemen ransacked the office, confiscating devices and finding two unused teargas canisters and one blank round. Protesters often display the canisters or rounds during demonstrations to journalists as evidence of police brutality and use of excessive force. Video on social media showed Mwangi shout 'Ruto Must Go!' as he was driven away from his office on Saturday. Mwangi denied the charges; a judge freed him on a personal bond and set a hearing date for August 21. Prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi poses for a photo while holding a Kenyan flag inside the dock at Kahawa Law Courts in Kiambu, Kenya, Monday, July 21, 2025. Brian Inganga/AP Crackdown on protest Protests erupted in the country in June after several cases of alleged police brutality, including the death of a teacher while in police custody. During the protests, claims swirled among frustrated demonstrators on social media that government-affiliated politicians had hired people to attack peaceful protesters and damage property to discredit the demonstrations. The Law Society of Kenya, which advises and assists the legal profession, government and public, said the protests had been 'infiltrated by armed, hired goons' in a scathing statement on Monday. 'We strongly condemn this malicious, deliberate re-emergence of radicalized militia sponsored by the political class.' During recent protests, CNN saw groups of men armed with batons marching alongside police and beating up civilians in Nairobi while uniformed officers watched. Businesses were burnt in other parts of the country and a police station attacked. CNN has asked the Kenyan government and police for comment, but has not heard back. President Ruto accused some politicians of misleading youth to riot on Sunday and warned of consequences: 'The police are trained to deal with criminals. They're not trained in parenting. So, if you surrender your children to the police, what do you expect?' The right to protest is protected under Kenya's constitution but authorities have characterized recent demonstrations as chaotic looting sprees. Kenyan prosecutors slapped several youths with arson and terrorism charges following the protests, and judges imposed hefty bail terms even though many claimed their innocence. Rights groups have condemned the use of terrorism charges. 'We are deeply concerned by the continued misuse of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to manage public order,' according to a statement on Monday from the Police Reforms Working Group, a coalition of civil society organizations that monitors policing. 'This practice undermines Kenya's criminal justice system and jeopardizes critical international partnerships aimed at safeguarding national security.' The Kenyan chapter of the International Commission of Jurists on Sunday said it was 'alarmed by the growing pattern of arbitrary arrests and trumped-up charges targeting innocent youth.' In a statement, the human rights group added: 'What began as targeted persecution of young protesters demanding accountability has metastasized into a full-scale assault on Kenya's democracy.' The government has denied any wrongdoing. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution defended its use of terrorism charges, saying that the protests were 'calculated and coordinated acts of violence' and that the office 'remains committed to executing its constitutional mandate in accordance with the law, public interest, and administration of justice.' 'We wish to reassure the public that all charges have been brought strictly based on available evidence,' it added on Monday. Heavy-handed policing Activists like Mwangi and legal experts say the Kenyan government is criminalizing dissent by using charges such as terrorism, arson and money laundering to stoke fear among protesters. Over the past year, CNN has filmed security forces violently breaking up protests on multiple occasions, shooting at unarmed protesters and assaulting bystanders. At least 38 people were killed and 130 injured in another protest earlier this month, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. President Ruto previously told police officers on July 9 to shoot 'looters and arsonists' in the leg if they considered them a threat, rather than killing them. His Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen went further a week later by issuing a directive for officers to shoot at protesters who approached police stations. The former lecturer of law attempted to walk back the comments after public outcry but did not rescind the directive. On Monday, Murkomen called out those challenging the terror charges, asking: 'If you invade a police station and burn it and steal guns… burn courts… and people's businesses, what is that crime if it is not terrorism?' Mwangi told CNN that Ruto and his government were 'weaponizing the DCI to criminalize dissent, which is allowed by the constitution – but he's going to fail.' 'They want to scare youth (away) from protesting because it will be hard to get work, or even a visa,' he said. 'And if the kids are not scared, they want to scare their parents.'


Egypt Independent
20 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
US citizen among eight Druze family members executed during Syria's sectarian violence
CNN — An American citizen from Oklahoma was among eight men, all family members, rounded up and killed in an execution-style attack during the sectarian violence that flared in Syria last week. Hosam Saraya, a 35-year-old Syrian-American, was identified by a friend and a US relative as one of eight men whose killing was captured on a video that circulated on social media over the weekend. The video, which has been geolocated by CNN, shows a group of armed men wearing military uniforms and face masks firing on eight captives while shouting 'God is great.' CNN cannot independently verify the identify of the gunmen in the video. A friend of the Saraya family said he believed they were militants aligned with the government. A school in Suwayda founded by Hosam Saraya also blamed government-linked fighters for the attack. CNN has reached out to the Syrian government for comment. Saraya's brother Kareem and other family members were also executed, according to the US relative, who asked not to be named for her safety. She spoke directly with relatives in Syria who said the family's male members had all been killed – leaving only their wives and daughters. The killings occurred on July 17 amid an outbreak of sectarian violence between Syrian Druze groups and Bedouin tribes in the Druze-majority Suwayda province. Saraya, who had studied in Oklahoma before returning to Syria, belonged to the Druze community, an Arab religious group of roughly one million people who primarily live in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. He had gone to Syria to care for his father who was ill, the US relative said. The relative said female family members who survived the massacre recalled how militants had stormed the family's multi-story home early in the morning, prompting the residents to fight back in defense. After one of the family members was wounded, the rest surrendered their weapons, she said, and the men were taken outside. The friend who CNN spoke to corroborated these details, saying he witnessed the militants storm the home and forcibly remove eight men, while leaving female family members inside. 'Pray for us' The US relative first learned of the attack when one of the female survivors sent her a desperate message: 'Pray for us, they kidnapped the boys, they shot the house, they stole stuff'. Twelve hours passed as the family desperately waited for news, hoping their relatives would return safely. It wasn't until another overseas relative saw the videos circulating of their execution that they realized the eight men had been killed. The friend who spoke to CNN said relatives later told him the captives were marched 200 meters to Tishreen Square, where they were lined up and executed. One of the men had sent a final message to friends that read, 'Come and help us if you can. They surrounded us,' the friend said. The friend, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, identified Hosam Saraya's body after watching the video. 'I don't know how monsters can do that,' the US relative told CNN. Asked about Saraya, the US State Department confirmed Monday that an American citizen had died in Suwayda. It did not offer details about the death but said it was 'greatly concerned when any US citizen is harmed overseas, wherever they are' and called 'for accountability in all cases where US citizens are harmed abroad.' Oklahoma Sens. James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin also confirmed the killing of an American from the state in Syria. 'Hosam was an Oklahoman and member of the Druze community who was tragically executed alongside other members of his family in Syria,' Lankford wrote on X. 'We are praying for his family, friends, and the entire community as they grieve this senseless loss.' Mullin wrote on X that an 'American citizen from Oklahoma' was 'brutally executed alongside his family members in Syria,' adding he was working with partners in the region to learn more. His tweet did not name the Saraya family. Widespread violence between the Druze minority and Bedouin tribes in southern Syria erupted on July 13 and has left hundreds dead in the latest explosion of sectarian bloodletting since the authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a coalition of Islamist rebels. The violence drew Israeli intervention in support of the Druze, as well as US condemnation and an international scramble to stop the fighting spiraling further. The Syrian government said over the weekend that clashes in Suwayda had stopped after a ceasefire agreement was reached between the government, Druze groups, and Bedouin tribes. A separate ceasefire was agreed between Syria and Israel. The deal was announced by US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who said it was 'embraced' by Turkey, Jordan and other neighboring countries.


Egypt Independent
20 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
Distraught students demand answers after plane crash turned Bangladesh school into ‘death trap'
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