Israeli military kills 41 people in Gaza, medics say, World News
CAIRO — Israeli gunfire and airstrikes killed at least 41 Palestinians across Gaza on Sunday (June 15), local health authorities said, five of them near two aid sites operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
Medics at Al-Awda Hospital in the central Gaza Strip said at least three people were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire as they tried to approach a GHF site near the Netzarim corridor. Two others were killed en route to another aid site in Rafah in the south.
An airstrike killed seven other people in Beit Lahiya town north of the enclave, medics said. In Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip, medics said an Israeli airstrike killed at least 11 people in a house. The rest were killed in separate airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip, they added.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May after Israel partially lifted a near three-month total blockade. Scores of Palestinians have been killed in near-daily mass shootings trying to reach the food.
The GHF said in a statement that it resumed food deliveries on Sunday, distributing more than two million meals from its three distribution sites without incident.
The United Nations rejects the new Israeli-backed distribution system as inadequate, dangerous, and a violation of humanitarian impartiality principles.
COGAT, the Israeli military aid coordination agency, said that this week it had facilitated the entry of 292 trucks with humanitarian aid from the United Nations and the international community, including food and flour, into Gaza.
It said the Israeli military would continue to permit the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave while ensuring it did not reach Hamas. Hamas denies Israeli accusations that it steals aid and says Israel is using hunger as a weapon against the Gaza population.
The Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Saturday that at least 300 people have so far been killed, and more than 2,600 wounded, near aid distribution sites since the GHF began operations in Gaza.
"These are not humanitarian aid, these are traps for the poor and the hungry under the watch of occupation planes," said Munir Al-Bursh, Director-General of the health ministry.
"Aid distributed under fire isn't aid, it is humiliation," Bursh posted on X on Sunday.
The war in Gaza erupted 20 months ago after Hamas-led militants raided Israel and took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, on Oct 7, 2023, Israel's single deadliest day.
Israel's military campaign since has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the densely populated strip, which is home to more than two million people. Most of the population is displaced, and malnutrition is widespread.
[[nid:718908]]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
40 killed in Gaza, many trying to reach food, as UN denounces Israeli-backed aid system
A Palestinian woman mourns over the grave of a relative in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on June 16. PHOTO: AFP 40 killed in Gaza, many trying to reach food, as UN denounces Israeli-backed aid system CAIRO/GAZA - Israeli fire killed at least 40 people, half of them near an aid distribution site operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on June 16, the territory's health ministry said, as UN officials denounced Israeli-backed aid delivery methods. Medics said at least 20 people were killed and 200 others wounded near an aid distribution site in Rafah, the latest in daily mass shootings that have killed hundreds of Palestinians trying to reach food since Israel imposed a new distribution system after partly lifting a near three-month total blockade. Israel has put responsibility for distributing much of the aid it allows into Gaza into the hands of a new US-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates three sites in areas guarded by Israeli troops. The United Nations has rejected the plan, saying GHF distribution is inadequate, dangerous and violates humanitarian impartiality principles. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military about June 16's reports of shootings. In previous incidents, it has occasionally acknowledged troops opening fire near aid sites, while blaming militants for provoking the violence. Relatives arrived at Nasser Hospital to mourn the dead. Women and children wept beside bodies wrapped in white shrouds. 'We went there thinking we would get aid to feed our children, but it turned out to be a trap, a killing. I advise everyone: don't go there,' said Mr Ahmed Fayad, one of those who tried to reach aid on June 16. 'Lethal distribution system' Mr Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Palestinian refugees agency UNRWA, said in a post on X: "Scores of people have been killed & injured in the past days, including of starving people trying to get some food from a lethal distribution system." Before the new system was set up, aid had been distributed to Gaza's 2.3 million residents mainly by UN agencies such as UNRWA, which employ thousands of staff inside Gaza and operate hundreds of sites across the breadth of the enclave. Israel says it has had to crack down on distribution because Hamas fighters were diverting food aid. The militants deny this and say Israel is using hunger as a weapon. Mr Lazzarini said Israel had not lifted restrictions on UN agencies including UNRWA bringing in aid, despite an abundance of assistance ready to be moved into the enclave. On June 15, Cogat, the Israeli military aid coordination agency, said that this week it had facilitated the entry of 292 trucks with humanitarian aid from the United Nations and the international community, including food and flour, into Gaza. It said the Israeli military would continue to permit the entry of humanitarian aid while ensuring it did not reach Hamas. Before June 16's incident, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said that at least 300 people had so far been killed, and more than 2,600 wounded, near aid distribution sites since the GHF began operations. In Geneva, Mr Volker Turk, UN rights chief, told the UN Human Rights Council on June 16 that Israel had "weaponised" food in Gaza. He repeated a call for investigations into deadly attacks near the GHF distribution sites. "Israel's means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza," said Mr Turk. "Disturbing, dehumanising rhetoric from senior Israeli government officials is reminiscent of the gravest of crimes," he added. On June 15, at least five people were killed as thousands of Palestinians approached two GHF distribution sites in the central and southern of the enclave. The GHF said in a statement that it resumed food deliveries on June 15, distributing more than two million meals from its three distribution sites without incident. The war in Gaza erupted 20 months ago after Hamas-led militants raided Israel and took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, on October 7, 2023, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign since has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the densely populated strip. Most of the population is displaced, and widespread malnutrition is a significant concern. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
12 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Israeli military kills 41 people in Gaza, medics say, World News
CAIRO — Israeli gunfire and airstrikes killed at least 41 Palestinians across Gaza on Sunday (June 15), local health authorities said, five of them near two aid sites operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Medics at Al-Awda Hospital in the central Gaza Strip said at least three people were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire as they tried to approach a GHF site near the Netzarim corridor. Two others were killed en route to another aid site in Rafah in the south. An airstrike killed seven other people in Beit Lahiya town north of the enclave, medics said. In Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip, medics said an Israeli airstrike killed at least 11 people in a house. The rest were killed in separate airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip, they added. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May after Israel partially lifted a near three-month total blockade. Scores of Palestinians have been killed in near-daily mass shootings trying to reach the food. The GHF said in a statement that it resumed food deliveries on Sunday, distributing more than two million meals from its three distribution sites without incident. The United Nations rejects the new Israeli-backed distribution system as inadequate, dangerous, and a violation of humanitarian impartiality principles. COGAT, the Israeli military aid coordination agency, said that this week it had facilitated the entry of 292 trucks with humanitarian aid from the United Nations and the international community, including food and flour, into Gaza. It said the Israeli military would continue to permit the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave while ensuring it did not reach Hamas. Hamas denies Israeli accusations that it steals aid and says Israel is using hunger as a weapon against the Gaza population. The Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Saturday that at least 300 people have so far been killed, and more than 2,600 wounded, near aid distribution sites since the GHF began operations in Gaza. "These are not humanitarian aid, these are traps for the poor and the hungry under the watch of occupation planes," said Munir Al-Bursh, Director-General of the health ministry. "Aid distributed under fire isn't aid, it is humiliation," Bursh posted on X on Sunday. The war in Gaza erupted 20 months ago after Hamas-led militants raided Israel and took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, on Oct 7, 2023, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign since has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the densely populated strip, which is home to more than two million people. Most of the population is displaced, and malnutrition is widespread. [[nid:718908]]
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Israeli fire kills 25 people in Gaza, medics say
CAIRO - Israeli fire and airstrikes killed at least 25 Palestinians across Gaza on Sunday, local health authorities said, at least five of them near two aid sites operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Medics at Al-Awda Hospital in the central Gaza Strip said at least three people were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire as they tried to approach a GHF site near the Netzarim corridor. Two others were killed en route to another aid site in Rafah in the south. An airstrike killed seven other people in Beit Lahiya town north of the enclave, medics said. The rest were killed in separate airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip, they added. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May after Israel partially lifted a near three-month total blockade. Scores of Palestinians have been killed in near-daily mass shootings trying to reach the food. The United Nations rejects the Israeli-backed new distribution system as inadequate, dangerous, and a violation of humanitarian impartiality principles. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
