Dozens are killed seeking aid in Gaza as Netanyahu considers further military action
Gaza Strip
while seeking aid from
United Nations
convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, local health officials said.
The
Israeli
military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces.
The latest deaths came as Israeli prime minister
Binyamin Netanyahu
was expected to announce further military action – and possibly plans for Israel to reoccupy Gaza fully.
Mr Netanyahu is scheduled to discuss military plans for Gaza with other ministers on Thursday.
READ MORE
Experts say Israel's continuing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of two million Palestinians into famine.
Palestinians watch parachuted aid packages landing in the Nuseirat area in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Photograph: Eyad Baba/Getty
Mr Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, for Israel to take over Gaza eventually, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there.
At least 28 Palestinians were killed overnight and into Wednesday in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire.
The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced towards them and it said it was not aware of any casualties.
Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an American contractor.
The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza.
Another 12 people were killed in Israeli air strikes, the two hospitals said.
The GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites.
The military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on
Hamas
because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas.
Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for two-and-a-half months.
A view from the air as aid drops from a Jordanian C-130 military aircraft on Wednesday in Gaza. Photograph: Salah Malkawi/Getty
Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid.
The UN, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allowed, has rejected the new system, saying it forced Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food.
The UN said the arrangements also allowed Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement.
The UN human rights office said last week that 1,400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds.
It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire.
The GHF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Israeli military said it has only fired warning shots when crowds threatened its forces. The GHF said its armed contractors have only used pepper spray and fired into the air on some occasions to prevent deadly crowding at its sites.
Israel's blockade and military offensive have made it nearly impossible for anyone to safely deliver aid.
Aid groups say recent Israeli measures to facilitate more assistance are far from sufficient.
Hospitals on Wednesday recorded four more malnutrition-related deaths over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total to 193 people, including 96 children, since the war began in October 2023, the Gaza Health Ministry said.
Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7th, 2023, attack on southern Israel and abducted another 251.
Most hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Of the 50 still held in Gaza, about 20 are believed to be alive.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children.
The ministry is part of the now largely defunct Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals.
The UN and independent experts consider it the most reliable source for the number of war casualties. – AP
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Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Dozens killed seeking aid in Gaza as Israel considers further military action
At least 38 Palestinians were killed overnight and into Wednesday in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action – and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Trucks carrying humanitarian aid line up as they wait to enter the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip (Khaled Elfiqi/AP) Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Mr Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he was not aware of the 'suggestion' but that 'it's going to be pretty much up to Israel'. At least 28 Palestinians were killed overnight and into Wednesday in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced towards them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. People inspect the damage at the Sheikh Radwan al-Taba UNRWA clinic following an Israeli army bombardment in Gaza City (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) Another 12 people were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to the two hospitals. The GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. The military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for two-and-a-half months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1,400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. Humanitarian aid is airdropped to Palestinians over Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is 'an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law'. The experts work with the UN but do not represent the world body. The GHF called their statement 'disgraceful', and urged the UN and other aid groups to work with it 'to maximise the amount of aid being securely delivered to the Palestinian people in Gaza'. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots when crowds threatened its forces, and the GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray and fired into the air on some occasions to prevent deadly crowding at its sites. Israel's blockade and military offensive have made it nearly impossible for anyone to safely deliver aid, and aid groups say recent Israeli measures to facilitate more assistance are far from sufficient. Hospitals recorded four more malnutrition-related deaths over the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 193 people, including 96 children, since the war began in October 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Jordan said Israeli settlers blocked roads and hurled stones at a convoy of four trucks carrying aid bound for Gaza after they drove across the border into the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli far-right activists have repeatedly sought to halt aid from entering Gaza. Palestinians at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City mourn their relative who was killed while trying to reach aid trucks entering the northern Gaza Strip through the Zikim crossing with Israel (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammed al-Momani condemned the attack, which he said had shattered the windscreens of the trucks, according to the Jordanian state-run Petra News Agency. The Israeli military said security forces went to the scene to disperse the gathering and accompanied the trucks to their destination. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted another 251. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Of the 50 still held in Gaza, around 20 are believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. It is part of the now largely defunct Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The UN and independent experts consider it the most reliable source for the number of war casualties.
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Irish Times
Dozens are killed seeking aid in Gaza as Netanyahu considers further military action
At least 38 Palestinians were killed on overnight and into Wednesday in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, local health officials said. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. The latest deaths came as Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action – and possibly plans for Israel to reoccupy Gaza fully. Mr Netanyahu is scheduled to discuss military plans for Gaza with other ministers on Thursday. READ MORE Experts say Israel's continuing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of two million Palestinians into famine. Palestinians watch parachuted aid packages landing in the Nuseirat area in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Photograph: Eyad Baba/Getty Mr Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, for Israel to take over Gaza eventually, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. At least 28 Palestinians were killed overnight and into Wednesday in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced towards them and it said it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. Another 12 people were killed in Israeli air strikes, the two hospitals said. The GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. The military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for two-and-a-half months. A view from the air as aid drops from a Jordanian C-130 military aircraft on Wednesday in Gaza. Photograph: Salah Malkawi/Getty Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The UN, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allowed, has rejected the new system, saying it forced Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food. The UN said the arrangements also allowed Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that 1,400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. The GHF did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Israeli military said it has only fired warning shots when crowds threatened its forces. The GHF said its armed contractors have only used pepper spray and fired into the air on some occasions to prevent deadly crowding at its sites. Israel's blockade and military offensive have made it nearly impossible for anyone to safely deliver aid. Aid groups say recent Israeli measures to facilitate more assistance are far from sufficient. Hospitals on Wednesday recorded four more malnutrition-related deaths over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total to 193 people, including 96 children, since the war began in October 2023, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7th, 2023, attack on southern Israel and abducted another 251. Most hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Of the 50 still held in Gaza, about 20 are believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. The ministry is part of the now largely defunct Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The UN and independent experts consider it the most reliable source for the number of war casualties. – AP
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Anatomy of a photograph: Gaza, starvation and the battle for truth
There are some images so stark, so emotionally overwhelming, that they bypass the analytical parts of our brains and land directly in the gut. One of the most memorable examples remains the 1972 photograph of nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc running naked down a road in South Vietnam, her body scorched by napalm. That picture helped shift public opinion on the Vietnam War. Its power lay not in what it said, but in what it made impossible to ignore. In late July, a photograph from Gaza began circulating that appeared to carry the same moral charge. Shot by Ahmed al-Arini for the Turkish Anadolu Agency and distributed globally by Getty Images, the image shows 18-month-old Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, his back to the camera, his tiny body skeletal and frail. He is being held by his mother in a bare tent described by the photographer as resembling a tomb. His only clothing is a black plastic bin liner fashioned into a makeshift nappy. READ MORE Al-Arini told the BBC that he took the photo to show 'the extreme hunger that babies and children are suffering from in the Gaza Strip '. It was widely republished – on the front pages of international newspapers, across social media platforms, and prominently on the front of The Irish Times. But within days, the image had become a new front in the information war surrounding Gaza. David Collier, a London-based independent journalist with a long association with Israel , posted a series of claims on social media challenging the photo's context. Citing a medical report issued in Gaza in May, he said the child had been born with a serious genetic condition, suffered from cerebral palsy and had been diagnosed with hypoxaemia, a condition involving low oxygen in the blood. He also pointed to other photos of the boy with his mother and brother, who, Collier argued, appeared 'healthy and fed'. This pushback forced a response. The New York Times, which had used the photograph in a feature on Gaza's most vulnerable civilians, added a clarification: 'We have since learned new information, including from the hospital that treated him and his medical records, and have updated our story to add context about his pre-existing health problems.' The inevitable followed: accusation, counteraccusation, outrage. Writing from Jerusalem for The Irish Times, Mark Weiss reported an Israeli government spokesperson's reaction to the photo, calling it a 'blood libel' – a reference to an age-old anti-Semitic trope. The history of war photography is also the history of contested truth. In 1992, during the Bosnian war, British journalists filmed and photographed emaciated men behind barbed wire at the Trnopolje camp, prompting comparisons to Nazi concentration camps. Those images were also subjected to intense scrutiny. Pro-Serb commentators argued that the footage had been manipulated – that the wire fence enclosed the journalists, not the prisoners. It didn't matter that those claims didn't hold up to much scrutiny. The damage was in the doubt. That dynamic is playing out again. The photograph of Muhammad al-Matouq landed at a moment when international concern about starvation in Gaza is mounting. Israel's allies, including the United States, are under pressure to increase aid and demand accountability. Effie Defrin, a commanding officer and spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces , conducted a press tour in a small section of Gaza some days after the photograph appeared. He described the imagery emerging from the territory as 'heartbreaking' but insisted that most of it was staged. 'It's fake,' he said. 'Fake distributed by Hamas . It's a campaign.' The Israeli government has taken the same line. But the World Health Organisation has recorded 74 deaths related to malnutrition in Gaza so far this year. Of those, 63 occurred in July, and 25 were children. Speaking during his visit to Scotland last week, Donald Trump contradicted the Israeli narrative. 'That's real starvation,' he told reporters. 'I see it, and you can't fake that.' There are several things happening at once here. On one level, this is a debate about the credibility of a single image. On another, it is a struggle over narrative: who gets to define reality, whose suffering is deemed authentic, and how much weight is given to context when the picture already tells a story. News photographs are, by nature, selective. A still image cannot account for pre-existing conditions or political implications. It doesn't differentiate between tragedy and strategy. But nor can it be easily unseen. Whether or not Muhammad al-Matouq's condition is entirely attributable to starvation, the image of his skeletal frame resonates precisely because it aligns with what many already believe to be true: that Gaza, after 21 months of war, a collapsed humanitarian infrastructure and a blockade on aid, is teetering on the brink of famine. Media organisations are often caught in the middle. The impulse to publish powerful images is strong. The imperative to contextualise them is equally important, particularly when the backlash can be fierce and immediate. The risk is not just reputational, but moral. In the effort to tell the truth, you can end up distorting it. In the effort to avoid distortion, you can end up saying nothing at all. Perhaps that is the real challenge posed by the Gaza image. Not whether it is true in the narrow, clinical sense, but whether it is representative of a larger, brutal truth. In the end, the photograph's power doesn't lie in its ability to persuade everyone. It lies in its refusal to let us look away.
