Nasir told his mother he'd get her some flour, ‘even if I die'. He never came home
'All responsive individuals reported they were attempting to access food distribution sites,' the Red Cross said after the shootings near Rafah, noting the 'alarming frequency and scale' of such mass casualty incidents.
Israel's military said it fired warning shots towards people it said were behaving suspiciously to prevent them from approaching. It said it was not aware of any casualties. The GHF said no incident occurred near its sites.
Abdullah al-Haddad said he was 200 metres from the aid distribution site run by the GHF close to the Shakoush area when an Israeli tank started firing at crowds of Palestinians.
'We were together, and they shot us at once,' he said, writhing in pain from a leg wound at Nasser Hospital.
Mohammed Jamal al-Sahloo, another witness, said Israel's military had ordered them to proceed to the site when the shooting started.
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Sumaya al-Sha'er's 17-year-old son, Nasir, was killed, hospital officials said.
'He said to me, 'Mom, you don't have flour and today I'll go and bring you flour, even if I die, I'll go and get it,'' she said. 'But he never came back home.'
Until then, she said, she had prevented the teenager from going to GHF sites because she thought it was too dangerous.
Witnesses, health officials and United Nations officials say hundreds have been killed by Israeli fire while heading towards GHF distribution points through military zones off limits to independent media. The military has acknowledged firing warning shots at Palestinians who it says approached its forces in a suspicious manner.
The GHF denies there has been violence in or around its sites. But two of its contractors told The Associated Press that their colleagues had fired live ammunition and stun grenades as Palestinians scrambled for food, allegations the foundation denied.
In a separate effort, the UN and aid groups say they struggle to distribute humanitarian aid because of Israeli military restrictions and a breakdown of law and order that has led to widespread looting.
The first fuel – 150,000 litres – entered Gaza this week after 130 days, a joint statement by UN aid bodies said, calling it a small amount for 'the backbone of survival in Gaza'. Fuel ran hospitals, water systems, transport and more, the statement said.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1200 people and abducted 251 in their October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the war. Hamas still holds some 50 hostages, with at least 20 believed to remain alive.
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Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 57,800 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, under Gaza's Hamas-run government, doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. The UN and other international organisations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.
Palestinian-American killed in the West Bank
Meanwhile, friends and relatives paid their respects a day after Palestinian-American Seifeddin Musalat and local friend Mohammed al-Shalabi were killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Musalat was beaten to death by Israeli settlers on his family's land, his cousin Diana Halum said. The settlers then blocked paramedics from reaching him, she said.
Musalat, born in Florida, was visiting his family home. His family wants the US State Department to investigate his death and hold the settlers accountable. The State Department said it was aware of the reports of his death but had no comment out of respect for the family.
A witness speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid Israeli retaliation said the settlers descended on Palestinian lands and 'started shooting at us, beating by sticks and throwing rocks'.
Israel's military has said Palestinians hurled rocks at Israelis in the area earlier on Friday, lightly wounding two people and setting off a larger confrontation.
Palestinians and rights groups have long accused the military of ignoring settler violence, which has spiked – along with Palestinian attacks and Israeli military raids – since the war in Gaza began.
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ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Thousands from LGBTQI+ and sex worker communities can now donate plasma
Thousands of members of the LGBTQI+ and sex worker communities can now donate plasma in Australia without having to wait three months from the last time they had sex. On Monday, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood removed most wait time restrictions for gay and bisexual men, transgender people, sex workers and those on the common HIV prevention drug pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This change means an estimated 625,000 additional Australians are now eligible to donate plasma. Often referred to as the "liquid gold" part of blood, plasma is used to treat more than 50 medical conditions. During the HIV crisis in the 1980s, Australia introduced an indefinite ban on men who have sex with men from donating blood and plasma in order to prevent transmission through blood transfusion. Skye McGregor from the Kirby Institute said this was in part due to the lengthy time it took to confirm if HIV was present in test results. "To have no deferral now around sexual activity through the plasma pathway is really significant," Dr McGregor said. Other factors such as a 33 per cent drop in HIV diagnoses since 2014, and increased sensitivity of HIV tests — which can detect an infection within a week — have also contributed to the lifting of restrictions. "Whilst these changes were necessary in the past to ensure that blood safety, we also know that they did contribute to stigma within particularly the gay and bisexual community," Lifeblood chief executive officer Stephen Cornelissen said. From July 14, people in these previously restricted groups can donate plasma immediately, regardless of sexual activity. The only exception is for those who've recently had sex with a partner known to have HIV or another blood-borne virus. "It's a beautiful moment," Joshua Smith said, who donated for the first time on Monday. "Blood and plasma donations was one of the last things it felt like gay and bisexual people and trans communities were excluded from. Fellow donor Kane Wheatley added: "It's one of those things that you spend your whole life thinking this is just not going to get across the line, and when it does it feels really nice to be able to be here to support it, normalise it for people as well." Lifeblood estimates an additional 625,000 Australians may now be eligible to donate plasma. It is hoping for 24,000 new donors and 95,000 additional donations a year. The next step is for gay, bisexual and other members of the LGBTQI+ community to be able to donate what's known as "whole blood", not just plasma. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has recently approved a gender-neutral risk assessment for blood and platelet donations, which is the first step in the process. This means everyone — regardless of gender or sexual orientation — will be asked if they have had sex (excluding oral sex) with a new or more than one partner in the past six months. If they answer yes, they will be asked whether this included having anal sex in the past three months. Anyone who answers yes will be deferred from donating blood for six months, but will be able to donate plasma. This means gay and bisexual men in long-term, monogamous relationships will be able to donate whole blood without abstaining from sex. This change will be implemented sometime next year, Adjunct Professor Cornelissen said. Let Us Give, a campaign to ensure equality when it comes to blood donation, welcomed the change to giving plasma but said the whole blood rules remain "discriminatory" as they stand currently. Spokesperson Rodney Croome said policy should centre on "the safety of a donor's sexual activity rather than the gender of their sexual partner". He said an approach change like this would "open up a new source of safe blood for those in need and remove discrimination from Australia's blood collection system". Those who have recently had sex with a partner known to have HIV or another blood-borne virus will still be unable to donate blood or plasma. There are also restrictions that prevent people taking some medications, those who have medical conditions such as MS or cancer, people who are pregnant or less than nine months postpartum, and those who have recently undergone surgery from making donations. The rule preventing people who lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 from donating in Australia was lifted in July 2022.
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- SBS Australia
'Liquid gold' donations to flow after Lifeblood's new sexual activity rules take effect
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . The last time Chris Steel donated blood was decades ago. When the Red Cross later called, asking him for another donation, he says it was like coming out all over again. "I had to say, look, I know I can't donate. I'm gay. I'm sorry. And you know, it is one of those things that you don't want to have to necessarily confront it's a difficult conversation to have." The A-C-T's Treasurer has been pushing for blood and plasma donation rules to be changed since entering politics. Today, he's one of 625,000 Australians now eligible to donate plasma as sexual activity restrictions blocking most gay and bisexual men from giving the liquid part of blood are lifted. "After the marriage equality non binding plebiscite result and the changes to marriage equality laws, people were looking at other forms of discrimination that existed in society, and this was one that I think a lot of people came up against and recognised, but it wasn't one that could be changed overnight." Lifeblood estimates the new 'plasma pathway' will lead to an additional 95,000 plasma donations a year. It marks the end of restrictions that began in the 1980s, as Dr Skye McGregor from the Kirby Institute explains. "HIV transmission through blood transfusions prompted an urgent public health response. And so Australia, like many countries around the world, introduced an indefinite deferral for men who have sex with men, and this because they're the population who've historically been most impacted by HIV in Australia, and at this time, there was no HIV testing." As HIV testing advanced, the total ban was lifted and replaced with a suspension period. "The deferral for men who have sex with men decreased from indefinite to 12 months in 2000. And then in 2021 this was reduced to three months since last sexual activity, however, really didn't take into account that there was lower risk groups." From 14 JULY, potential plasma donors will only be asked one sexual-activity related question, with people who have had sex with someone who have been found to have HIV, hepatitis B or C, or HTLV in the last three months unable to donate. And while men and transgender women donating blood will still be asked if they have recently had sex with men, there's a plan for that to end, with a gender neutral screening question to be introduced next year. Once implemented, all donors will be asked the same questions, with most people in monogamous sexual relationships able to donate. Instead, anyone who has recently had anal sex with new or multiple partners will be unable to donate, regardless of gender. Dr McGregor says that reflects the potential risks. "Unprotected anal sex carries a higher risk of HIV transmission compared to other sexual activities, and this is particularly if it's a receptive anal intercourse, and this is because there's a risk of tears and abrasion in the anal passage, and it makes it easier for HIV to enter the bloodstream." For people like Hayley Teasdale, it's also a big day. "It's pretty hard to put into words just how important these donations are for my life. Before I received the plasma products, I was incredibly unwell, spending a lot of time in bed in hospital, always recovering from some kind of illness, and I'm able to live a full and active life. I have a job that I love, a family that I get to spend so much time with a beautiful, three year old daughter who keeps me very busy that without this plasma, I would not be able to keep up with it's honestly just given me a whole life I never thought was possible for a while there." The 33 year old relies on 100 plasma donations a year for her medication to treat a rare immune deficiency. "It's just such a huge moment for a community that's been just wanting to donate for so long. And it's moved me to tears to listen to Chris speak about that, and I'm so excited for all our new donors."
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Life-saving plasma donations to expand under national rule changes
Sexual activity rules that have prohibited thousands of Australians from donating blood have been lifted, smashing long-held stigmas and increasing much-needed plasma supplies. Ever since the AIDS crisis exploded into the public consciousness in the early 1980s, the Australian Red Cross has prevented gay and bisexual men, transgender people, sex workers and people taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) from donating blood. Decades later, the Red Cross Lifeblood Service reports 'some 625,000 Australians' will become eligible to donate plasma after the lifting of these rules. Lifeblood chief executive Stephen Cornelissen AM said the service was 'looking forward' to welcoming new donors into the fold. 'Importantly, today's (Monday's) change will allow those on PREP to become the first in the world to donate plasma without a wait period,' he said. 'Over the next 12 months, we estimate an extra 24,000 donors will give plasma, but we know people have been eagerly awaiting these changes and hope to far exceed these numbers.' Professor Cornelissen also took time to acknowledge the stigma that has accompanied blood donor ineligibility. 'While the rules were put in place to ensure a safe blood supply in the past, we know they have contributed to the stigma faced by many and hope today will be a turning point for Lifeblood and the LGBTQIA+ community and that people will feel welcome to come forward to donate their lifesaving plasma,' he said. Throughout the '80s and '90s, AIDS became highly stigmatised, and high-profile media campaigns such as the infamous 'Grim Reaper' AIDS campaign had detrimental impacts on the already marginalised LGBTQIA+ community – a residual trauma that many still vividly recall. On Monday, several gay men donated their plasma at the Lifeblood clinic in Sydney – some for the first time and others for the first time since they became ineligible in their youth. For Kane Wheatley, 44, a schoolteacher from Sydney's inner west, donating plasma always seemed just out of reach. 'I spent my whole life thinking that I couldn't get married – and then I was able to get married … and so donating blood or plasma … I thought it was never going to be an option – we were just never going to get there,' Mr Wheatley said. 'Today it just feels really great to be able to get across the line. To be one of the first people to do this and help normalise it and show people that we can do this … it's really flattering. 'I feel really honoured and really special to be able to do it.' Matt Higgs, 31, said he was a regular donor in his youth, but his sexuality eventually rendered him 'ineligible' – an experience that he called 'pretty common'. 'My partner is the same, he has a scar on his arm because he used to donate so regularly,' Mr Higgs said. 'I was healthy, but because I was in a relationship with a man, I couldn't donate.' Mr Higgs acknowledged the history of his ineligibility but said change was well overdue. '(Preventing gay men from donating blood) was a response that was maybe warranted at the time, but we've moved so far beyond the time of where that decision was made and so it's huge (for destigmatisation) for sure,' he said. 'It's a great feeling to be able to come back and give back … I know plenty of people that have needed blood products in their life and to be able to contribute to that is really cool.' Plasma is an essential component of more than a dozen medical treatments for illnesses like chickenpox, brain disorders, tetanus, measles, liver disease and haemophilia.
