Hamas says it has given ‘positive' response to latest ceasefire proposal
The UN human rights office says it has recorded 613 Palestinians killed within the span of a month in Gaza while trying to obtain aid.
Most were killed while trying to reach food distribution points run by an Israeli-backed American organisation, while others were massed waiting for aid trucks connected to the UN or other humanitarian organisations.
Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the rights office was not able to attribute responsibility for the killings.
But she said 'it is clear that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points' operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
In a message to The Associated Press, Ms Shamdasani said that of the total tallied, 509 killings were 'GHF-related' – meaning at or near its distribution sites.
'Information keeps coming in,' she added. 'This is ongoing and it is unacceptable.'
The GHF has denied any serious injuries or deaths on its sites and says shootings outside their immediate vicinity are under the purview of Israel's military.
In a statement Friday, GHF cast doubt on the casualty figures and accused the UN of trying 'to falsely smear our effort'.
The Israeli military also issued new evacuation orders on Friday in north-east Khan Younis and urged Palestinians to move west ahead of planned military operations against Hamas in the area.
The new evacuation zones pushed Palestinians into increasingly smaller spaces by the coast.
– 20 killed Friday while seeking aid
Since GHF began distributions in late May, witnesses have said almost daily that Israeli troops open fire on crowds of Palestinians on the roads leading through military-controlled zones to the food centres.
Officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said at least three Palestinians were killed on Friday on their way to GHF sites in the area of Rafah in southern Gaza.
The Israeli military has said previously it fires warning shots to control crowds or at Palestinians who approach its troops.
On Friday, in reaction to the UN report, it said in a statement that it was investigating reports of people killed and wounded while seeking aid and that it had given instructions to troops in the field based on 'lessons learned' from reviewing the incidents.
It said it was working at 'minimising possible friction between the population' and Israeli forces, including by installing fences and placing signs on the routes.
Separately, witnesses have said Israeli troops open fire on crowds of Palestinians who gather in military-controlled zones to wait for aid trucks entering Gaza for the UN or other aid organisations not associated with GHF. The crowds are usually made up of people desperate for food who grab supplies off the passing trucks.
On Friday, 17 people were killed waiting for trucks in eastern Khan Younis in the Tahliya area, officials at Nasser Hospital said.
Three survivors told the AP they had gone to wait for the trucks in a military 'red zone' in Khan Younis and that troops opened fire from a tank and drones.
It was a 'crowd of people, may God help them, who want to eat and live,' said Seddiq Abu Farhana, who was shot in the leg, forcing him to drop a bag of flour he had grabbed. 'There was direct firing.'
Airstrikes also hit the Muwasi area on the southern end of Gaza's Mediterranean coast, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes are sheltering in tent camps.
Of the 15 people killed in the strikes, eight were women and one was a child, according to the hospital.
Israel's military said it was looking into Friday's reported strikes.
– Efforts ongoing to halt the war
The recent killings took place as efforts to halt the 21-month war appeared to be moving forward.
'We'll see what happens. We're going to know over the next 24 hours,' US President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One late Thursday when asked if Hamas had agreed to the latest framework for a ceasefire.
A Palestinian official told AP on Friday that Hamas is still working on its response the proposal presented to it by Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
He said the response will be positive but added that Hamas is insisting on guarantees regarding an Israeli withdrawal to positions it held on March 2, during a previous ceasefire, and an end to the war following a 60-day truce as well as ending the GHF system for distributing aid.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk the press.
Mr 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.
The Health Ministry in Gaza said the number of Palestinians killed in the territory has passed 57,000.
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says more than half of the dead are women and children.
The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages.
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The Guardian
17 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘They're skin and bones': doctors in Gaza warn babies at risk of death from lack of formula
Doctors in Gaza have warned that hundreds of babies are at risk of death amid a critical shortage of baby milk, as Israel continues to restrict the humanitarian aid that can enter the beleaguered strip. Dr Ahmad al-Farra, the head of paediatrics at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, said his ward had only about a week's worth of infant formula remaining. The doctor has already run out of specialised formula meant for premature babies and is forced to use regular formula, rationing it between the infants under his care. 'I can't begin to describe how bad things are. Right now, we have enough formula for about one week. But we also have infants outside the hospital without any access to milk. It's catastrophic,' al-Farra told the Guardian over the phone. Stocks of infant formula have dwindled in Gaza as Israel has blocked all but a trickle of aid into the Palestinian territory. Food aid that comes through the controversial US-Israeli-backed private company Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) does not include infant formula, according to doctors. Hanaa al-Taweel, a 27-year-old mother of five living at al-Nuseirat refugee camp, said she was unable to breastfeed as she herself was not getting enough to eat. She has struggled to find infant formula for her 13-month-old child. 'The problem of getting milk started since my son's birth, as due to my malnutrition and general weakness I wasn't able to breastfeed my baby,' al-Taweel said. Doctors have told her that her son is suffering from stunting due to malnutrition and she has noticed he was developing slower than her other children, who had already begun speaking and walking at his age. 'I try to keep a small piece of bread next to me when he sleeps because he wakes up often asking for food. I feel sadness and fear for my children, I fear they will die from hunger, thirst and disease,' she said. Already 66 Palestinian children have starved to death since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, according to local health authorities. Amnesty International accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war against civilians in Gaza, which it said was a tactic intended 'to inflict genocide against Palestinians'. Cogat, the Israeli authority responsible for coordinating humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, said it does not restrict the entry of baby food, including formula, into the Gaza Strip. The agency added that more than 1,400 tons of baby food had been delivered to Gaza in recent weeks. Doctors entering Gaza have resorted to packing individual cans of infant formula in their personal luggage. On at least one occasion, Israeli authorities confiscated 10 cans of infant formula from the luggage of an American doctor recently entering Gaza for a medical mission. 'In the end they confiscated all the cans of baby formula, which was specifically formula for pre-term babies. What on earth is baby formula going to do against the security of the state of Israel?' said Dr Diana Nazzal, a Palestinian-German eye surgeon who helped the American doctor pack his bags in a way that would be acceptable to Israeli border authorities. Nazzal added that many medical staff entering Gaza are filling their bags with calorie-dense foods such as protein bars and nuts, rather than medical supplies. Infant formula has become more critical as the hunger crisis has worsened in Gaza, with almost 500,000 people facing catastrophic hunger while the rest of the population is experiencing acute food insecurity. Mothers who are severely malnourished themselves or have been killed are unable to breastfeed, creating a higher need for formula. On the parallel market, what little supply exists has become exorbitantly expensive, with one can of formula going for about $50 – 10 times the normal price. 'I was able to breastfeed her naturally for one month, but due to lack of food I could no longer continue,' said Nourhan Barakat, a 25-year-old mother of three displaced to Khan Younis. 'I know that breastfeeding strengthens the bond between mother and child – but what can I do?' In late June, the director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said about 112 children were being admitted daily to Gaza's hospitals for malnutrition treatment. Malnutrition before the age of three can cause permanent developmental problems. 'This whole generation is being targeted. They will suffer from memory problems, developmental delays … And the problem is even if nutrition becomes available later on, the damage is permanent,' al-Faraa said. Doctors said the deaths of infants was a worrying sign of Gaza's looming starvation crisis, as young children are the most vulnerable to the effects of malnutrition. 'When you see babies start to die, panic and alarms should start to flare. Essentially, children are the first to die in starvation crises,' said Dr Thaer Ahmad, a member of a medical delegation trying to deliver aid through the international group Avaaz. Doctors have blamed the Israeli aid blockade for the shortage, as Israel prevents all but a few aid trucks entering the territory – far below what humanitarians say is required to feed the population. UN agencies say Gaza needs at least 500 trucks a day to meet basic needs, but often less than 50 are admitted. What UN aid does come through is often confiscated by hungry crowds and armed gangs who have begun looting trucks out of desperation. If Palestinians want to access aid given by GHF, they have to navigate a complicated, ever-changing set of instructions to queue at one of four distribution sites. More than 500 people have been shot dead by Israeli forces while queueing for aid over the last month. Humanitarian groups have condemned the GHF, saying it could be complicit in war crimes and that it violates the core principles of humanitarianism. Previously, the UN-led aid system in Gaza maintained more than 400 aid distribution points throughout Gaza set up at points of need. The GHF said it had delivered more than 52m meals in five weeks and that other organisations 'stand by helplessly as their aid is looted'. Israel has said the UN system was being exploited by Hamas to hoard aid, an accusation for which humanitarians say there is no evidence. The war in Gaza has killed more than 56,000 people since 7 October 2023, and was launched in retaliation for the Hamas-led attack on the same day that killed 1,200 people in Israel. Israel and Hamas have signalled in recent days that they are nearing a US-brokered ceasefire, though key sticking points remain. In the meantime, doctors in the territory say time is running out. 'You should see the children arriving,' said al-Farra. 'They're just skin and bones. It's horrifying. The real solution is to end the war, open the crossings and allow baby formula in.'
South Wales Guardian
6 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Hamas says it has given ‘positive' response to latest ceasefire proposal
It comes as Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians while a hospital said another 20 people died in shootings while waiting for aid on Friday. The UN human rights office says it has recorded 613 Palestinians killed within the span of a month in Gaza while trying to obtain aid. Most were killed while trying to reach food distribution points run by an Israeli-backed American organisation, while others were massed waiting for aid trucks connected to the UN or other humanitarian organisations. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the rights office was not able to attribute responsibility for the killings. But she said 'it is clear that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points' operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. In a message to The Associated Press, Ms Shamdasani said that of the total tallied, 509 killings were 'GHF-related' – meaning at or near its distribution sites. 'Information keeps coming in,' she added. 'This is ongoing and it is unacceptable.' The GHF has denied any serious injuries or deaths on its sites and says shootings outside their immediate vicinity are under the purview of Israel's military. In a statement Friday, GHF cast doubt on the casualty figures and accused the UN of trying 'to falsely smear our effort'. The Israeli military also issued new evacuation orders on Friday in north-east Khan Younis and urged Palestinians to move west ahead of planned military operations against Hamas in the area. The new evacuation zones pushed Palestinians into increasingly smaller spaces by the coast. – 20 killed Friday while seeking aid Since GHF began distributions in late May, witnesses have said almost daily that Israeli troops open fire on crowds of Palestinians on the roads leading through military-controlled zones to the food centres. Officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said at least three Palestinians were killed on Friday on their way to GHF sites in the area of Rafah in southern Gaza. The Israeli military has said previously it fires warning shots to control crowds or at Palestinians who approach its troops. On Friday, in reaction to the UN report, it said in a statement that it was investigating reports of people killed and wounded while seeking aid and that it had given instructions to troops in the field based on 'lessons learned' from reviewing the incidents. It said it was working at 'minimising possible friction between the population' and Israeli forces, including by installing fences and placing signs on the routes. Separately, witnesses have said Israeli troops open fire on crowds of Palestinians who gather in military-controlled zones to wait for aid trucks entering Gaza for the UN or other aid organisations not associated with GHF. The crowds are usually made up of people desperate for food who grab supplies off the passing trucks. On Friday, 17 people were killed waiting for trucks in eastern Khan Younis in the Tahliya area, officials at Nasser Hospital said. Three survivors told the AP they had gone to wait for the trucks in a military 'red zone' in Khan Younis and that troops opened fire from a tank and drones. It was a 'crowd of people, may God help them, who want to eat and live,' said Seddiq Abu Farhana, who was shot in the leg, forcing him to drop a bag of flour he had grabbed. 'There was direct firing.' Airstrikes also hit the Muwasi area on the southern end of Gaza's Mediterranean coast, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes are sheltering in tent camps. Of the 15 people killed in the strikes, eight were women and one was a child, according to the hospital. Israel's military said it was looking into Friday's reported strikes. – Efforts ongoing to halt the war The recent killings took place as efforts to halt the 21-month war appeared to be moving forward. 'We'll see what happens. We're going to know over the next 24 hours,' US President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One late Thursday when asked if Hamas had agreed to the latest framework for a ceasefire. A Palestinian official told AP on Friday that Hamas is still working on its response the proposal presented to it by Egyptian and Qatari mediators. He said the response will be positive but added that Hamas is insisting on guarantees regarding an Israeli withdrawal to positions it held on March 2, during a previous ceasefire, and an end to the war following a 60-day truce as well as ending the GHF system for distributing aid. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk the press. Mr 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. The Health Ministry in Gaza said the number of Palestinians killed in the territory has passed 57,000. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says more than half of the dead are women and children. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages.
North Wales Chronicle
6 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Hamas says it has given ‘positive' response to latest ceasefire proposal
It comes as Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians while a hospital said another 20 people died in shootings while waiting for aid on Friday. The UN human rights office says it has recorded 613 Palestinians killed within the span of a month in Gaza while trying to obtain aid. Most were killed while trying to reach food distribution points run by an Israeli-backed American organisation, while others were massed waiting for aid trucks connected to the UN or other humanitarian organisations. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the rights office was not able to attribute responsibility for the killings. But she said 'it is clear that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points' operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. In a message to The Associated Press, Ms Shamdasani said that of the total tallied, 509 killings were 'GHF-related' – meaning at or near its distribution sites. 'Information keeps coming in,' she added. 'This is ongoing and it is unacceptable.' The GHF has denied any serious injuries or deaths on its sites and says shootings outside their immediate vicinity are under the purview of Israel's military. In a statement Friday, GHF cast doubt on the casualty figures and accused the UN of trying 'to falsely smear our effort'. The Israeli military also issued new evacuation orders on Friday in north-east Khan Younis and urged Palestinians to move west ahead of planned military operations against Hamas in the area. The new evacuation zones pushed Palestinians into increasingly smaller spaces by the coast. – 20 killed Friday while seeking aid Since GHF began distributions in late May, witnesses have said almost daily that Israeli troops open fire on crowds of Palestinians on the roads leading through military-controlled zones to the food centres. Officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said at least three Palestinians were killed on Friday on their way to GHF sites in the area of Rafah in southern Gaza. The Israeli military has said previously it fires warning shots to control crowds or at Palestinians who approach its troops. On Friday, in reaction to the UN report, it said in a statement that it was investigating reports of people killed and wounded while seeking aid and that it had given instructions to troops in the field based on 'lessons learned' from reviewing the incidents. It said it was working at 'minimising possible friction between the population' and Israeli forces, including by installing fences and placing signs on the routes. Separately, witnesses have said Israeli troops open fire on crowds of Palestinians who gather in military-controlled zones to wait for aid trucks entering Gaza for the UN or other aid organisations not associated with GHF. The crowds are usually made up of people desperate for food who grab supplies off the passing trucks. On Friday, 17 people were killed waiting for trucks in eastern Khan Younis in the Tahliya area, officials at Nasser Hospital said. Three survivors told the AP they had gone to wait for the trucks in a military 'red zone' in Khan Younis and that troops opened fire from a tank and drones. It was a 'crowd of people, may God help them, who want to eat and live,' said Seddiq Abu Farhana, who was shot in the leg, forcing him to drop a bag of flour he had grabbed. 'There was direct firing.' Airstrikes also hit the Muwasi area on the southern end of Gaza's Mediterranean coast, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes are sheltering in tent camps. Of the 15 people killed in the strikes, eight were women and one was a child, according to the hospital. Israel's military said it was looking into Friday's reported strikes. – Efforts ongoing to halt the war The recent killings took place as efforts to halt the 21-month war appeared to be moving forward. 'We'll see what happens. We're going to know over the next 24 hours,' US President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One late Thursday when asked if Hamas had agreed to the latest framework for a ceasefire. A Palestinian official told AP on Friday that Hamas is still working on its response the proposal presented to it by Egyptian and Qatari mediators. He said the response will be positive but added that Hamas is insisting on guarantees regarding an Israeli withdrawal to positions it held on March 2, during a previous ceasefire, and an end to the war following a 60-day truce as well as ending the GHF system for distributing aid. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk the press. Mr 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. The Health Ministry in Gaza said the number of Palestinians killed in the territory has passed 57,000. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says more than half of the dead are women and children. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages.
