Three more Palestinians killed by Israeli army gunfire near aid centre in southern Gaza
Three more Palestinians were killed early on Monday by Israeli army gunfire near an aid distribution centre in southern Gaza, medical sources told The National, a day after dozens were shot dead in the same area.
Another 35 were wounded as Israeli troops opened fire on civilians near the US-backed aid distribution point west of Rafah, the sources said.
Official Palestinian news agency Wafa also reported the deaths, saying Israeli troops 'fired directly at civilians'.
The violence comes a day after Gaza's Health Ministry and witnesses reported that dozens were killed by Israeli fire at an aid site in the same area run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group backed by the US and Israel that started operating after Israel recently relaxed a blockade on the enclave.
The UN and other international aid organisations have refused to work with the foundation, saying its operations are an affront to international humanitarian principles.
The Israeli army has offered competing explanations of Sunday's violence. It first said it was unaware of casualties, then said it did not fire at civilians 'near or within' the food bank and that 'reports to this effect are false'.
But an Israeli military official separately said troops had fired warning shots to 'prevent several suspects from approaching' the site.
The GHF said aid had been distributed 'without incident' on Sunday and reports of fatalities were false.
Israel has faced mounting international criticism over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the UN has warned the entire population faces famine. Gaza's farmland has been destroyed, with barely any land remaining arable.
Israel imposed an aid blockade on the besieged strip in March and only relaxed it in recent days. Aid is now trickling in but the UN has reported looting of its lorries and warehouses. Israel says the new system of food distribution by the GHF is a way of bypassing Hamas, which it accuses of pilfering aid. But other aid groups say it forces civilians to navigate dangerous areas to obtain food at the centres.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, said aid distribution 'has become a death trap'. He described the new distribution centres as a 'humiliating system' forcing hungry Gazans to walk for miles to areas ravaged by Israeli bombardment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
4 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Saudi Arabian and Omani officials propose nuclear facilities for Iran on Gulf island: Report
Omani and Saudi Arabian officials have proposed building a nuclear enrichment facility in the Gulf alongside Iran in an attempt to overcome obstacles in ongoing nuclear talks. US envoy Steve Witkoff provided Iran with a proposal for a nuclear deal over the weekend, which includes a consortium to provide nuclear fuel to Iran and any of its neighbours interested in developing civilian nuclear power or research programmes, according to a New York Times report on Tuesday. The idea is part of an attempt to bridge Washington and Tehran's red lines that could scuttle a deal. US President Donald Trump says the US will not allow Iran to enrich uranium as part of a nuclear deal, while Tehran insists it retains the right to enrichment for civilian purposes. The nuclear consortium could include Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the report said. The Gulf states are close US partners with their own nuclear ambitions. They are rivals with Iran but have undergone a fragile rapprochement. The consortium would be overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The NYT reported that Iran may be prepared to accept the consortium idea in order to prevent the collapse of talks but could push to build the enrichment facility on one of their islands, including Kish or Qeshm in the Gulf. Another option could be to build the facility on a disputed island. Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb in the Gulf have been occupied by Iran since 1971 but are claimed by the UAE. Until the consortium gets up and running, Iran would be allowed to continue enriching uranium at low levels. Axios reported on Monday that the Witkoff proposal would allow Iran to enrich Uranium to three percent, well below the 60 percent it is currently at. Trump said on Monday, after the Axios report, that Iran would not be allowed to enrich uranium. But if the final stage of the deal prevents Iran from enriching uranium alone once a consortium is established, it could give Trump some wriggle room around his publicly stated position. Although there are several flashpoints that could derail an agreement, whether Iran is able to enrich uranium on its soil, as part of a consortium or not, is shaping up to be the biggest obstacle. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Iran's right to enrich uranium on its soil was a "red line" after the United States submitted its proposal for a new nuclear deal. "Continuing enrichment on Iranian soil is our red line," Araghchi said while on a visit to Lebanon, adding that his country will respond to the proposal in the coming days based on Iran's "principled positions and the interests of the Iranian people'. Iran has also called on the US to lift all sanctions on the country, not just those related to its nuclear programme, as part of a deal, the NYT reported. Trump is under pressure from Republicans in the US Congress and Israel to take a hard line on Iran. He said last month that he warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch preemptive military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
The National
5 hours ago
- The National
UN Security Council to vote on Gaza aid draft
The 10 non-permanent members of the UN Security Council have called for a vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution demanding an 'immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties.' The resolution, drafted by Slovenia alongside Algeria and Guyana and seen by The National, reiterates the council's demand for the 'immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups.' It also urges the 'immediate lifting of all restrictions' on humanitarian aid into Gaza, ensuring safe and large-scale distribution, including by the United Nations across the besieged enclave. Slovenia, as the co-ordinator of the non-permanent group, sent the resolution and requested a vote for Wednesday. A UN diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US is likely to veto the measure. For a resolution to pass, it requires at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes from any of the five permanent members – the US, Russia, China, Britain, or France. On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza as Israeli troops opened fire near a US-backed aid centre, with the military saying the incident was under investigation. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres decried the deaths of Palestinians seeking food aid as 'unacceptable'. 'We are witnessing unthinkable loss of life in Gaza (and) the secretary-general condemns the loss of lives and injuries of Palestinians seeking aid,' UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. 'It is unacceptable civilians are risking and in several instances losing their lives just trying to get food.'
Middle East Eye
5 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Trump fires slew of pro-Israel officials in America First 'course correction'
US President Donald Trump's course correction of his foreign policy team is shifting into overdrive with Iran hawks and staunchly pro-Israel officials axed, including one who drew the ire of "America First" Trump allies. The officials being dismissed are all those with previous track records opposing what are shaping up to be Trump's most significant Middle East endeavours: swiftly lifting sanctions on Syria and negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran. The reshuffle comes after Trump's landmark visit to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar last month. In a speech in Riyadh, Trump tore into "interventionists" and the American "nation builders". Underscoring just how rapid the turnaround has been, the Middle East advisor at the White House National Security Council (NSC) who was photographed taking notes while Trump spoke to the leaders of Syria and Saudi Arabia in May was one of the officials fired. Eric Trager was notified late last month that he would be removed from his position, one former US official and one source with knowledge of the matter confirmed to Middle East Eye. His firing has been reported by several Israeli news sites. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The latter source said Trager was still working on the NSC for now. Trager is an Iran hawk. He also wrote a book criticising the Muslim Brotherhood and Qatar. Unlike previous Middle East directors at the NSC, his influence in the White House was limited. US President Donald Trump meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. Eric Trager is behind the president on the right, on 14 May 2025 (Bandar al-Jaloud/Saudi Royal Palace/AFP) He was dismissed as part of a wider Trump shakeup at the NSC, which The New York Times reported will see the organisation's headcount cut in half. Another notable firing was Merav Ceren, the NSC director for Israel and Iran, in late May. Ceren's biography at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank states that she worked at the Israeli Ministry of Defence, where she participated in negotiations in the occupied West Bank between Israel's Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories, known as Cogat, and Palestinian Authority officials. Her appointment, first reported by Drop Site News in April, created a firestorm among America First media personalities. 'Neo-con Mike Waltz has now hired basically a dual citizen and former IDF official to work under him,' Conservative podcaster Clayton Morris, a former Fox News anchor, said in April, referring to Ceren. Some of Trump's most vocal defenders in the media, who exercise unprecedented influence in communicating his worldview, are media figures like Tucker Carlson and former advisor Steve Bannon. Morris is a friend of Carlson. Broad sweep The latest firings come after Trump brushed away his former national security advisor, Mike Waltz, by nominating him to be ambassador to the United Nations. Waltz was reportedly sidelined for consulting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on preemptively attacking Iran. 'Tensions between Trump and Netanyahu over Iran are real' - Marwa Maziad, Israel expert Trump's administration was divided between traditional Republican hawks and 'America First' isolationists like White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The latest firing underscores the "America First" bent of Trump's foreign policy team. The NSC isn't the only place Trump is cleaning house. On Sunday, Israel's Channel 14 reported that Morgan Ortagus, the deputy to US envoy Steve Witkoff and the official overseeing the Trump administration's Lebanon portfolio, will be leaving her position. One source briefed on her departure told MEE that Ortagus had irritated Witkoff, her de facto boss. Trump looking for 'Iran doves' Overall, Trump's sweeping dismissals reflect how he is upending the traditional ways Republican presidents approached the Middle East. It's unclear how much Trump himself cared about these specific positions or the officials who filled them. He has been relying on close friends like Witkoff to negotiate with Iran and, more recently, the US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, to manage Syria. Some speculate that the shakeup is a natural outcome of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio taking over as temporary national security advisor after Waltz's departure. Both Trager and Ceren were part of Waltz's team. But the axed officials are all united by a common thread. They are traditional hawks who have supported Israel's offensives in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. All of the officials were critics of compromising with Iran to reach a nuclear deal. Trump announces pro-Israel commentator to Mideast post then ridicules her Read More » 'Trump's foreign policy team is undergoing a course correction in keeping with his own pivot,'Marwa Maziad, a professor of Israeli politics at the University of Maryland, told MEE. 'In March, Trump allowed [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to relaunch his offensive on Gaza. Trump was not in the driver's seat,' Maziad said. The pivotal change for his administration came in mid-May when he visited the Gulf, bypassing Israel to seal economic deals with oil-rich monarchs. Trump struck a unilateral ceasefire with the Houthis even as they continue to attack Israel, and made a historic announcement to lift all sanctions on Syria. But the main theatre of diplomacy is the Iranian nuclear deal. 'Whether the staff reshuffling is related to these officials' views on Israel or not is besides the point. The tensions between Trump and Netanyahu over a potential strike on Iran are real. Trump is trying to take the wheel back from Netanyahu,' Maziad said. On Monday, Axios reported that the Trump administration provided a proposal to Iran for a nuclear deal that allows them to enrich a low level of uranium. Trump later undercut the story on Monday, saying he would not allow enrichment at any level. But one source briefed on the firings told MEE that they appeared in keeping with a White House that is looking for officials to follow Trump's desire for a deal. 'They are looking for Iran doves and people aligned to Vance,' the source said, referring to US Vice President JD Vance, who has emerged as the most prominent opponent of US military intervention in the Middle East.
