Dozens of people waiting for aid among 94 killed in Gaza, authorities say
Five people were killed while outside sites associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the newly created American organisation backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip's population, while 40 others were killed waiting for aid in other locations across the Gaza Strip.
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Dozens of people were killed in air strikes that pounded the Strip on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, including 15 people killed in strikes that hit tents in the sprawling Muwasi zone, where many displaced Palestinians are sheltering.
A separate strike on a school in Gaza City sheltering displaced people also killed 15.
Palestinians carry boxes containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)
Gaza's Health Ministry said the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza has passed 57,000, including 223 missing people who have been declared dead, since the war began on October 7 2023.
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count but says that more than half of the dead are women and children.
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The deaths come as Israel and Hamas inch closer to a possible ceasefire that would end the 21-month war.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen.
But Hamas's response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialise into an actual pause in fighting.
Smoke from an Israeli bombardment billows over the Gaza Strip (Ariel Schalit/AP)
The Israeli military blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas. The military said it targeted Hamas militants and rocket launchers in northern Gaza that launched rockets towards Israel on Wednesday.
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The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages.
The war has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting.
More than 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. And the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of people hungry.
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The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
Airstrikes and shootings kill 94 Palestinians in Gaza including dozens trying to get aid, officials say
Nearly 100 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes and shootings in Gaza including dozens who were trying to get much-needed humanitarian aid, authorities say. Hospitals and Gaza's Health Ministry said 94 people were killed overnight including 45 people who were attempting to get aid. Five people were killed around sites associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the American organisation backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip's population, the ministry said. A further 33 people were killed waiting for aid trucks in other locations across the Gaza Strip, it added. Israel 's military did not immediately comment on the strikes but the government has hit back at ongoing criticism of its handling of the aid crisis in Gaza. On Thursday, human rights organisation Amnesty International released a report accusing Israel of 'militarising' aid distribution as a starvation tactic against the Palestinian population. Israel denied the allegations and accused Amnesty of having 'joined forces with Hamas'. Gaza's Health Ministry says more than 500 Palestinians have been killed at or near GHF distribution centres over the past month, including the five overnight between Wednesday and Thursday in Khan Younis. The centres are guarded by private security contractors and located near Israeli military positions. Palestinian officials and witnesses have accused Israeli forces of opening fire at crowds of people moving near the sites. Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said in the month since Israel imposed the GHF aid scheme, 'hundreds of Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured either near militarised distribution sites or en route to humanitarian aid convoys. 'Israel's genocide has continued unabated in Gaza including creating a deadly mix of hunger and disease pushing the population past breaking point.' Ms Callamard said Israel has a legal obligation to ensure Palestinians in Gaza can access essentials including food and medicine. 'Instead, Israel has continued to restrict the entry of aid and impose its suffocating cruel blockade and even a full siege lasting nearly 80 days. This must end now. Israel must lift all restrictions and allow unfettered, safe, and dignified access to humanitarian aid throughout Gaza immediately,' she added. Israel has adamantly and repeatedly rejected allegations of genocide and is challenging such claims at the International Court of Justice. In a statement responding to the report, the Israel Foreign Ministry said: 'Amnesty International has joined forces with Hamas and fully adopted all of its propaganda lies - its new name is now 'Amnesty Hamas'. 'Since May 19, Israel has facilitated the entry of over 3,000 aid trucks into the Gaza Strip. More than 1,400 tons of baby formula have been delivered. Over 56 million meals have been distributed by the GHF, directly to Palestinian civilians, not to Hamas.' Although it has yet to respond to the Amnesty report, the GHF has pushed back against ongoing criticism of its aid operation in Gaza. In a lengthy statement on X on Wednesday, it said: 'GHF's aid distribution model is designed to deliver free aid directly to civilians. We protect aid from theft so that the food can go straight to those who need to feed their families. We've done this successfully since late May. 'The Palestinian people who need food are not helped when the international community falls for Hamas propaganda campaigns. So we will continue to call out disinformation so it doesn't slow us down as we double and triple the 56 million meals we've delivered to date. We're not going anywhere.' Meanwhile, efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza have continued. Earlier this week Donald Trump said Israel had accepted the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas, during which the parties will work to end the war. Hamas is seeking clear guarantees that the ceasefire will eventually lead to the war's end, a source close to the group told Reuters. Two Israeli officials said those details were still being worked out. The US proposal includes the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the return of the bodies of 18 more in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, sources say. Of the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 are believed to still be alive. An Israeli government spokesperson said prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was working to end the campaign in Gaza by securing the release of the remaining hostages, and the 'defeat of the Hamas terrorist organisation as soon as possible'. 'The obstacle as ever, lies with Hamas,' spokesman David Mencer said Thursday. 'Hamas is a terrorist organisation and the prime minister said they will be no more Hamas. He said this very clearly just yesterday. I believe there will be no 'Hamas-stan'. There'll be no more going back to what we've done before. That two year, every two-year conflict, it's over. 'Now we here in Israel, led by the prime minister, believe there is a huge opportunity here, both in our defeat of our enemies and also to ensure that with nations now coming to us to try and initiate peace agreements. Peace through strength - first comes strength then comes to peace.' The war began when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, while displacing most of the population of more than 2 million, triggering widespread hunger and leaving much of the territory in ruins.
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- The Guardian
Israel steps up deadly bombardment of Gaza before ceasefire talks
Israel has escalated its offensive in Gaza before imminent talks about a ceasefire, with warships and artillery launching one of the deadliest and most intense bombardments in the devastated Palestinian territory for many months. Medics and officials in Gaza reported that about 90 people were killed overnight and on Thursday, including many women and children. On Tuesday night and Wednesday the toll was higher, they said. Casualties included Marwan al-Sultan, a cardiologist and director of the Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza, who died in an airstrike that also killed his wife and five children. In all, about 300 people may have been killed this week and thousands more injured, according to the officials. Despite the new wave of violence in Gaza, hopes of a ceasefire have risen after Donald Trump's announcement on Tuesday that Israel had accepted the terms of a potential deal with Hamas. The deal would involve a 60-day initial pause in hostilities, a part withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of some of the hostages still held by Hamas. Israel's security cabinet was scheduled to meet on Thursday night to decide whether to move swiftly towards an agreement with Hamas or order further military escalation. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, is due to fly on Sunday to Washington for talks with Trump and senior US officials. They are expected to discuss a ceasefire, the recent war between Israel and Iran, and possibilities for ambitious regional agreements. Earlier this week, Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's foreign minister, described 'positive signs' for a ceasefire and the energy minister, Eli Cohen, told the news website Ynet that there was 'definitely readiness to advance a deal'. A previous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in March when Israel reneged on a promise to move to a second phase of talks. Since then, almost 6,500 people have been killed in Gaza in successive waves of Israeli airstrikes, shelling and clashes between Israeli troops and remaining Hamas militants. Though the total blockade of Gaza imposed by Israel has now been partly lifted, only very limited supplies are reaching the most vulnerable in the territory, who are threatened by famine. The casualties on Thursday included dozens of Palestinians attempting to get humanitarian aid, with five people killed by Israeli fire on their way to sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new and secretive private organisation supported by the US and Israel that began in May to distribute basic food parcels from four hubs protected by Israeli forces. About 45 Palestinians seeking aid were killed elsewhere in the territory, reportedly by Israeli fire, Palestinian officials said. Hundreds have been killed in recent weeks while gathered in huge crowds around looted trucks and convoys brought into Gaza by the UN. Israel's military acknowledged on Monday that Palestinian civilians had been harmed seeking aid and that its forces had been issued with new instructions after what it called 'lessons learned'. The wave of intense attacks of recent days appears to be designed to put pressure on Hamas in negotiations. Its focus has been the north of Gaza, where the militant Islamist organisation remains entrenched, though much weakened. In Gaza City on Thursday, 12 people were killed and many injured in a strike on the Mustafa Hafez school, which shelters displaced persons, in al-Rimal neighbourhood, said Mohammad al-Mughayyir, a civil defence official. Footage filmed by local journalists showed children wandering through the charred, bombed-out shelter as piles of burnt debris smouldered. Crowds of mourners gathered at al-Shifa hospital, where men and women wept over the bodies of the dead. 'We have no life left. Let them just annihilate us so we can finally rest,' said one woman who lost relatives in the strike and did not give her name. 'There's nothing left for us. My two daughters are gone – and now my niece along with her six children and her husband were burned to death,' she said. The Israeli military said it had targeted a key Hamas militant operating in the school, regretted any harm to 'uninvolved individuals' and took steps to minimise such harm. Hamas is expected to give an initial response to the ceasefire proposals on Friday but the group is split. The political leadership outside Gaza, mainly based in Qatar and Istanbul, favours a ceasefire but those in the territory itself want to continue to fight, sources close to the movement said. Analysts said Israel's success in its short war with Iran last month had reinforced the political position of Netanyahu, who is now less reliant on the support of far-right coalition partners who oppose any deal with Hamas. Polls show the Israeli public wants to end the war and bring the remaining hostages home. Egyptian and Israeli officials briefed on the talks said the new proposal called for Hamas to release 10 of the 50 hostages still held in Gaza – eight on the first day and two on the final day. In return, Israel would withdraw troops from some parts of Gaza, allow a big increase in aid into the territory and release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. A regional diplomat briefed on the talks said there was now a 'big opportunity' to reach an agreement. 'The indications we're getting are people are ready,' he said. There also appears to be agreement over the delivery of aid in Gaza, with the UN and the Palestinian Red Crescent likely to lead the humanitarian effort but the GHF also continuing to operate. The new deal would lead to Gaza being governed by a group of qualified Palestinians without political affiliations once a ceasefire is reached. However, big gaps remain. Israel wants the disarmament of Hamas and the exile of its Gaza-based leadership, while Hamas wants a guarantee of a permanent end to hostilities. The war in Gaza was triggered by an attack into southern Israel in October 2023 during which Hamas-led militants killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,012 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to a count by the territory's ministry of health that is considered reliable by the UN and many western governments.
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- The Guardian
Israel steps up deadly bombardment of Gaza before ceasefire talks
Israel has escalated its offensive in Gaza before imminent talks about a ceasefire, with warships and artillery launching one of the deadliest and most intense bombardments in the devastated Palestinian territory for many months. Medics and officials in Gaza reported that about 90 people were killed overnight and on Thursday, including many women and children. On Tuesday night and Wednesday the toll was higher, they said. Casualties included Marwan al-Sultan, a cardiologist and director of the Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza, who died in an airstrike that also killed his wife and five children. In all, about 300 people may have been killed this week and thousands more injured, according to the officials. Despite the new wave of violence in Gaza, hopes of a ceasefire have risen after Donald Trump's announcement on Tuesday that Israel had accepted the terms of a potential deal with Hamas. The deal would involve a 60-day initial pause in hostilities, a part withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of some of the hostages still held by Hamas. Israel's security cabinet was scheduled to meet on Thursday night to decide whether to move swiftly towards an agreement with Hamas or order further military escalation. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, is due to fly on Sunday to Washington for talks with Trump and senior US officials. They are expected to discuss a ceasefire, the recent war between Israel and Iran, and possibilities for ambitious regional agreements. Earlier this week, Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's foreign minister, described 'positive signs' for a ceasefire and the energy minister, Eli Cohen, told the news website Ynet that there was 'definitely readiness to advance a deal'. A previous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in March when Israel reneged on a promise to move to a second phase of talks. Since then, almost 6,500 people have been killed in Gaza in successive waves of Israeli airstrikes, shelling and clashes between Israeli troops and remaining Hamas militants. Though the total blockade of Gaza imposed by Israel has now been partly lifted, only very limited supplies are reaching the most vulnerable in the territory, who are threatened by famine. The casualties on Thursday included dozens of Palestinians attempting to get humanitarian aid, with five people killed by Israeli fire on their way to sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new and secretive private organisation supported by the US and Israel that began in May to distribute basic food parcels from four hubs protected by Israeli forces. About 45 Palestinians seeking aid were killed elsewhere in the territory, reportedly by Israeli fire, Palestinian officials said. Hundreds have been killed in recent weeks while gathered in huge crowds around looted trucks and convoys brought into Gaza by the UN. Israel's military acknowledged on Monday that Palestinian civilians had been harmed seeking aid and that its forces had been issued with new instructions after what it called 'lessons learned'. The wave of intense attacks of recent days appears to be designed to put pressure on Hamas in negotiations. Its focus has been the north of Gaza, where the militant Islamist organisation remains entrenched, though much weakened. In Gaza City on Thursday, 12 people were killed and many injured in a strike on the Mustafa Hafez school, which shelters displaced persons, in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood, said Mohammad al-Mughayyir, a civil defence official. Footage filmed by local journalists showed children wandering through the charred, bombed-out shelter as piles of burnt debris smouldered. Crowds of mourners gathered at al-Shifa hospital, where men and women wept over the bodies of the dead. 'We have no life left. Let them just annihilate us so we can finally rest,' said one woman who lost relatives in the strike and did not give her name. 'There's nothing left for us. My two daughters are gone – and now my niece along with her six children and her husband were burned to death,' she said. The Israeli military said it had targeted a key Hamas militant operating in the school, regretted any harm to 'uninvolved individuals' and took steps to minimise such harm. Hamas are expected to give an initial response to the ceasefire proposals on Friday but are split. The political leadership outside Gaza, mainly based in Qatar and Istanbul, favours a ceasefire but those in the territory itself want to continue to fight, sources close to the movement said. Analysts said Israel's success in its short war with Iran last month had reinforced the political position of Netanyahu, who is now less reliant on the support of far-right coalition partners who oppose any deal with Hamas. Polls show the Israeli public wants to end the war and bring the remaining hostages home. Egyptian and Israeli officials briefed on the talks said the new proposal called for Hamas to release 10 of the 50 hostages still held in Gaza – eight on the first day and two on the final day. In return, Israel would withdraw troops from some parts of Gaza, allow a big increase of aid into the territory and release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. A regional diplomat briefed on the talks said there was now a 'big opportunity' to reach an agreement. 'The indications we're getting are people are ready,' he said. There also appears to be agreement over the delivery of aid in Gaza, with the UN and the Palestinian Red Crescent likely to lead the humanitarian effort but the GHF also continuing to operate. The new deal would lead to Gaza being governed by a group of qualified Palestinians without political affiliations once a ceasefire is reached. However, big gaps remain. Israel wants the disarmament of Hamas and the exile of its Gaza-based leadership, while Hamas wants a guarantee of a permanent end to hostilities. The war in Gaza was triggered by an attack into southern Israel in October 2023 during which Hamas-led militants killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,012 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to a count by the territory's ministry of health that is considered reliable by the UN and many western governments.
