Food arrives in Gaza after Israel pauses some fighting
With Gaza's population of more than two million facing famine and malnutrition, Israel bowed to international pressure at the weekend and announced a daily "tactical pause" in fighting in some areas.
"For the first time, I received about five kilos of flour, which I shared with my neighbour," said 37-year-old Jamil Safadi, who shelters with his wife, six children and a sick father in a tent near the Al-Quds hospital in Tel al-Hawa.
Safadi, who has been up before dawn for two weeks searching for food, said Monday was his first success. Other Gazans were less fortunate; some complained aid trucks had been stolen or that guards had fired at them near US-backed aid centres.
"I saw injured and dead people. People have no choice but to try daily to get flour. What entered from Egypt was very limited," said 33-year-old Amir al-Rash, still without food and living in a tent.
Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza on March 2 after talks to extend a six-week ceasefire broke down. Nothing was allowed into the territory until late May, when a trickle of aid resumed.
Now, the Israeli defence ministry's civil affairs agency says the UN and aid agencies had been able to pick up 120 truckloads of aid on Sunday and distribute it inside Gaza, with more on the way Monday.
- Basic supplies -
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have begun air-dropping aid packages by parachute over Gaza, while Egypt has sent trucks through its Rafah border crossing to an Israeli post just inside Gaza.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, cautiously welcomed Israel's "humanitarian pauses" but warned Gaza needed at least 500 to 600 trucks of basic food, medicine and hygiene supplies daily.
"We hope that UNRWA will finally be allowed to bring in thousands of trucks loaded with food, medicine and hygiene supplies. They are currently in Jordan and Egypt waiting for the green light," the agency said.
"Opening all the crossings and flooding Gaza with assistance is the only way to avert further deepening of starvation among the people of Gaza."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly denied Israel was deliberately starving civilians as part of its intense 21-month-old war to crush the Palestinian group Hamas.
Military spokesmen say the UN and aid agencies should quickly make use of the lull in fighting and secure aid routes, urging them to pick up and distribute aid delivered to Gaza border crossings.
"An additional 180 trucks entered Gaza and are now awaiting collection and distribution, along with hundreds of others still queued for UN pickup," said COGAT, a defence ministry body that oversees Palestinian affairs.
"More consistent collection and distribution by UN agencies and international organisations equals more aid reaching those who need it most in Gaza."
UNRWA insisted it was ready to step up distribution, with 10,000 staff inside Gaza, waiting for deliveries.
"According to our latest data one in every five children is malnourished in Gaza City. More children have reportedly died of hunger; bringing the death toll of starving people to over 100," the statement said.
Over the weekend aid trucks began arriving from Egypt and Jordan and dropping their loads at distribution platforms just inside Gaza, ready to be picked up by agencies working inside the war-shattered territory.
But their number still falls far short of what is needed, aid agencies warn, calling for a permanent ceasefire, the reopening of more border crossings and a long-term large-scale humanitarian operation.
- Field hospital C-section -
Truce talks between Israel and Hamas -- mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States -- have stumbled, and Netanyahu remains determined to push on with the campaign to destroy Hamas and recover Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Gaza's civil defence agency said 16 people were killed by Israeli fire Monday.
Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said they included five people killed in an overnight strike on a residential building in the southern Gaza district of Al-Mawasi.
A pregnant woman was among the dead, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, which said its teams saved the woman's foetus by performing a Caesarean section in a field hospital.
The violence in Gaza came against the backdrop of a UN conference in New York where France and Saudi Arabia will lead a diplomatic effort to revive the moribund push for a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
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ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
ABC boards aid flight to Gaza
Andy Park: In the sky above Gaza, the Jordanian Air Force is continuing aid drops for a fourth day in a row since Israel partially eased aid restrictions in the war-ravaged Strip over the weekend. On the ground, in the devastation, humanitarian agencies argue it's not the best approach to delivering food and other supplies and that there's no substitute for truck convoys. Arab nations agree, but are persisting with the missions in support for the Palestinian population. The ABC has been given access to one of those flights. Our Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran was on board. Matthew Doran: On the tarmac of the Royal Jordanian Air Force's Kaab base outside Amman, the engines on this C-130 Hercules are undergoing their final checks. It's not a long mission for this crew, but it's an important one that the Jordanian authorities hope will continue for days, if not weeks to come. Earlier, flight crews had packed this plane, Guts Airlines, as the sign next to the front door reads, with eight one-tonne pallets of aid. It's mainly food in these packs, things like powdered milk among the supplies loaded into the cargo hold. With everything secured into place, it's time for take-off. Just moments after the plane is airborne, the crew are climbing all over the pallets inside the hold, connecting the parachutes, which are sitting on top of the grey tarpaulin-wrapped crates, to a thick metal wire running the length of the cargo hold. That ensures they're pulled open as soon as the pallets drop out the back. As the crow flies, this is a journey of just over 150 kilometres, but this flight is taking a slightly longer path, heading west from Amman over the Jordan River, flying above the West Bank before entering Israeli airspace. From there, it's over the top of Tel Aviv, one of Israel's busiest cities, and then out into the Mediterranean before heading south towards the Gaza Strip. As the plane crosses from Israeli territory into Gaza, the scenes out the window change dramatically. It is summer here, so it's not the greenest time of year, but the flashes of Gaza we can see are a grey-beige wasteland, a thick cloak of dust choking the Strip, the skeletons of what were once buildings poking into the sky. The crew are tethered to the walls of the plane as the back cargo hold opens. You can't hear it over the din of the engines, but it wouldn't be surprising if they gasped at the scene below. Flying much lower than usual, the lead crewman raises his hand and yells before the moment of release. And just like that, the airdrop is over, eight pallets rolling out of the plane, we're told, over Gaza City. Israeli authorities are permitting these flights by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, but they're clearly sensitive about them. We're told we can't take any videos or photos of what we've seen of the destruction on the ground, or it could jeopardise further flights. More restrictions on the media after almost two years of Israel blocking all international journalists independently accessing the Strip. The Jordanians know this isn't the best way to distribute aid, but they are continuing their missions, symbolism wrapped in with a small material benefit for the people of Gaza below. This is Matthew Doran flying with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, reporting for AM.
ABC News
8 hours ago
- ABC News
Inside one of the mercy missions airdropping aid into Gaza
From over the Mediterranean, we can feel the plane making a subtle descent. We're heading towards a strip of land the international media has been restricted from seeing for almost two years. As it emerges through the haze, I have to check my sunglasses aren't dirty. They're not. That grey-brown-beige tone we can see is the colour of Gaza now, as a thick cloak of dust chokes the strip. We have to describe what it's like to you rather than show you. While we're onboard a Royal Jordanian Air Force plane, Israeli authorities have said we can't show you pictures of the devastation below. And for the Jordanians, that's too important a message to ignore, as they launch mercy missions dropping pallets of aid into the war-ravaged territory. Israel allowed airdrops into Gaza to start again last Sunday after warnings the strip was descending into mass starvation sparked global condemnation, including from its allies. In the past week Israeli officials say more than 170 pallets of aid have been parachuted into the enclave, in coordination with the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Foreign nations are doing the lion's share of the airdrops, with other countries such as France, Germany and Egypt joining the efforts. The ABC joined the flight crew of the C-130 Hercules plane, labelled "Guts Airline", at the King Abdullah Air Base — one of the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) bases — outside Amman. Sitting on the tarmac as we arrived was one Jordanian plane, one from the United Arab Emirates, and an even larger cargo plane from the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe. The crews on our flight, supervised by the plane's load master, carefully guided pallets of aid from trucks into the cargo hold. The parcels, wrapped in this grey material, were mainly packed with food. Among the supplies, powdered milk. After each pallet was rolled into place, and tightly secured to the floor of the C130, it was ready for take-off. It was tight inside the plane's hold — usually a cavernous space, now filled with boxes of aid. Moments after the plane was airborne, the crew started climbing all over the cargo. Attached to each of the eight pallets were parachutes. The job for the crew now that the flight was underway, was to attach them to a thick metal line running the length of the plane. This would ensure the parachutes would be pulled open as the pallets rolled out the back hatch. As the crow flies, the distance between the King Abdullah Air Base and Gaza City is just over 150 kilometres. But this mission is taking a slightly longer route. From the base, we flew west over Amman and towards the Jordan River — the border between Jordan and Israel and the occupied West Bank. The Hercules, operated by the RJAF 3rd Squadron, continued on to the skies over Tel Aviv, before the Mediterranean appeared beneath the plane. Banking left, the journey continued south over the sea, and then suddenly cut back towards land south of the Ashkelon power station. It's summer in the Middle East. So, it's not the most green time of year. But there was a marked difference the moment the plane crossed the line from Israeli territory into northern Gaza. There are no trees, bushes, grass or anything visible. Remarkably, some buildings remain standing, but they're little more than concrete shells after intensive shelling and strikes. Roads are nothing but dirt. The striking blue of the sea clashed with the dull wasteland just metres away. A loud whirring noise cut through the din of the engines, and the back hatch of the plane slowly opened. Sunlight poured into the cargo hold, the rear of the plane becoming a window to the horrors below. All of the crew at this stage were tethered to the walls of the Hercules, and gathered down near the open end of the plane. The load master raised his hand and yelled in Arabic. And then the rumble of pallets, rolling along, built. One by one, in quick succession, the eight pallets disappeared into the distance, with the parachutes trailing behind them as they unfurled. We're told they were dropped over Gaza City, and footage from Palestinian journalists on the ground showed airdrops in the vicinity of Nuseirat. As quickly as it had begun, it was over. The hatch slowly closed, and the crew started clearing the cords and straps left behind. And the plane banked left once more, destined for Jordan. The Jordanians and other nations running and backing these airdrops know this isn't a perfect plan. Eight tonnes of aid per plane is a drop in the ocean compared to what's needed for the population. Humanitarian agencies say there is no substitute for extra convoys entering the strip by land, with some of the trucks capable of carrying double the load of one of these cargo planes. There is also the risk of pallets falling on people and injuring or killing innocent Palestinians. While some trucks are crossing into Gaza — more than before last weekend, but still far fewer than what aid organisations say is necessary to make much of a difference in the crisis — there's a symbolism behind these missions, as well as some material benefit. For a country such as Jordan, this is also deeply personal. More than half of Jordan's population is of Palestinian descent, with many families having fled the areas now known as Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories decades ago. It explains the persistence in flying these mercy missions, and also the rejection of suggestions Palestinians in Gaza could and should be resettled elsewhere — the deep trauma of displacements past resonating with the population. It is also why the Jordanians are keen to promote these flights, but abide by the warnings from Israel. As much as they want the world to see the destruction wrought on Gaza over 22 months of war, the Jordanians don't want to anger Israeli authorities and jeopardise further operations. The situation is another example of the control Israel exercises over Gaza. No international media have been able to independently access the strip since the start of the war. Some journalists have been escorted beyond the border fence by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on highly choreographed and restricted media visits, known as "embeds". But even those visits have been wound back since the January and February ceasefire came into force and later collapsed. Even when those trips are on offer, there's no mingling with the community or gathering footage and interviews outside of what the IDF is prepared to show. Israel routinely rejects any reporting of what is happening in Gaza — such as the reported death toll (now in excess of 60,000 people) — as Hamas propaganda, yet doesn't allow journalists to do their job and enter. With those restrictions in place, these missions are some of the best and only ways for international media to see the impact of the war first hand — one of the few insights our brave Palestinian colleagues can't offer from the ground. The Jordanians hope these missions will continue in coming days and weeks. But like many in this part of the world, and beyond, they also dream of a time when they're no longer needed.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
The long and dangerous journey into Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid sites
Gaza has been cut off from steady food supplies for months, and since aid deliveries have resumed, more than 1,000 desperate people have been killed while trying to access essentials. Many of the killings have happened around sites recently set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed private operation that has taken over distribution of critical supplies from traditional aid agencies. Palestinians in Gaza have told the ABC they feel they have to risk their lives in the hope of collecting food at one of the aid sites. Multiple witnesses told the ABC they have seen soldiers fire directly at Palestinians. People in Gaza are starving, and as the UN points out, they face an "unacceptable" choice over risking death to get food. "The hunger crisis in Gaza has reached new and astonishing levels of desperation," the UN said. After mounting international pressure, Israel has announced "tactical pauses" of its bombardment of Gaza to allow more aid to be dropped. Humanitarian agencies said the aid drops wouldn't deliver enough for the 2 million people in Gaza. Many will still have to make the long, dangerous and possibly fruitless journey to one of the GHF's four aid depots. They set off after a message appears on Facebook. "To the residents of Gaza, aid will be open tomorrow in Khan Younis in Saudi neighbourhood as of 9am. Please do not come to the location before this, as we may still be preparing the sites. The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] may still be in the area before that time." People immediately begin the long walk from across the strip, leaving their tents and shelters and heading towards the site they have been told will open. The night before the site opens, some sleep in the sand dunes nearby, hoping to secure a place at the front of the growing crowd. They want to arrive as early as possible to give themselves the best chance of getting aid. The people massing outside the centres don't know exactly when the gate will open, or for how long. There's no guarantee that after the long walk to the site they will leave with a box of food. "Many stay for days, because distributions are inconsistent, and you never know when the next box will come," Fayez Abu Obeyd told the ABC. The Israeli military has created long approach corridors for each of the GHF sites. People are only allowed to enter by walking down a kind of trench. They're corridors made from bulldozed berms and security fences and are hundreds of metres long. If people try to approach by another way to avoid the crush of the crowd, they say they are shot at by Israeli soldiers and tanks. Drones also fly over those walking the trenches to the aid sites. Hassan Abu Obeid, one of the many aid seekers, told the ABC the most dangerous part of the journey was reaching the queue at the distribution centre. Abu Abel described a similarly terrifying situation. "Guards open fire on anyone who steps even slightly out of line," he told the ABC. "There are no warnings. A few centimetres off, and they shoot to kill, aiming for the head or chest." Sami Ashour said there was barely room to move in the queues. "We're packed so tightly that it feels claustrophobic," he said "Just getting to the distribution centre is incredibly difficult. There are far too many people, all desperate for the same thing." He said he had to risk his life "just to survive". "There's no other choice," he said. "Either I take the risk or we have nothing." People have taken to calling the distribution sites cemeteries. "That's how deadly they've become," Abu Abel said. Abu Khaled has also been to the GHF sites. "These aren't aid distributions — they're death distributions," he told the ABC. GHF denies its workers have shot Palestinians. There is evidence the Israeli military has fired at people queuing to collect aid. The UN said that as of July 21, 1,054 people had been killed in Gaza while trying to get food, 766 near GHF sites. GHF and the IDF have disputed the figures and have previously denied targeting civilians. They have however admitted to firing "warning shots" towards "suspects". Before the site has opened, an Israeli tank is positioned outside to stop people entering, people who have been to the sites told the ABC. GHF has been using a coloured flag to indicate when people can enter their sites to collect aid. "We never approach until the flag is lowered and the tank moves. That's the signal, meaning it's finally safe to start," Fayez Abu Obeyd said. Palestinians told the ABC the opening times had been inconsistent and unpredictable. At 5am, a crowd has formed around an aid site. At 9am, the rush starts. "Young men often have to run when the gates open, competing to get supplies for their families," Abu al Majed told the ABC. Most of the people trying to get aid are young men, who have the best chance of reaching a box of aid in time. Umm Ali, one of the few women to try reaching the sites, told the ABC she can't reach the food before them. She has missed out every time. "I've never been able to get a single aid box," she said. "But I've seen many people killed, most of them young teenage boys. One moment they're standing in line, and the next, a shot to the head, no warning, no reason. She said trying to collect aid from the sites was not safe. "There should be a secure, dignified way for people to access food, without risking their lives," she said. The GHF held a "women only" day at one of its sites last week, saying it was responding to community concern about the distribution method favouring men. The sites generally open twice a day — in the morning and the afternoon. That gives people two windows of about 15 minutes to grab whatever they can. "Inside one box there's 5kg of flour, 2kg of bulgur [wheat], 1kg of rice, 1kg of lentils, pasta, salt, tahini, and cooking oil," Hassan Abu Obeid said. One aid seeker, who spoke to the ABC after going to a GHF site, said all she managed to get was a kilogram of flour. "Not even the basics," she said. "If I had a choice, I would never come to these distribution centres." It's not just food that's in short supply. Fuel is scarce, and turning the ingredients in the aid boxes into food becomes another challenge. "We cook using cardboard we collect from the streets," Hassan Abu Obeid said. "There's no gas. We haven't had gas canisters for four or five months." Hassan Abu Obeid even though the sites were "deadly", people had no choice but to go there. The GHF denied that any guards it contracted had shot at Palestinians seeking aid. Much of the carnage has been around the three GHF sites in Gaza's south and its other in the centre of the strip. But there have also been reports of people being killed while trying to access aid deliveries in the north of Gaza. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has described what is said happened shortly after 25 aid trucks entered via the Zikim crossing a week ago. "The convoy encountered large crowds of civilians anxiously waiting to access desperately needed food supplies," the WFP said. "As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire." About 80 people were killed, according to Palestinian authorities. More than 170 aid organisations have condemned the GHF's operations as immoral, in breach of international law and against humanitarian principles. Bushra Khalidi, the policy lead for the occupied Palestinian territories for Oxfam, said the aid community was horrified by the large numbers of Palestinians killed around the GHF sites, as well as the way aid was distributed there. "Massacres have happened daily at these distribution sites," she told the ABC. Ms Khalidi said one person her organisation had spoken with had almost died seven times in one day while trying to get flour. Ms Khalidi said aid delivery should be handled by independent agencies and guided by international law. "The GHF does not abide by any of these principles, nor is it impartial because it's run by the US, American veterans and armed actors. And the Israeli military. Nor is it independent, because it is directly tied to the Israeli military, and nor is it dignified," she said. "Where is the dignity in throwing food like boxes of flour and oil and pasta to the strongest? Because now it's survival of the fittest in Gaza." Aid should also be prioritised for the most vulnerable, she said. "A pregnant woman right now, a child, an elderly person, an amputee … how are they supposed to walk for five to six kilometres towards these distribution sites in the middle of the night through rubble and roads that they don't even recognise because Israel has basically destroyed Gaza," she said. The GHF is also only distributing boxes of food, but people in Gaza have little access to water, gas and electricity. "Palestinians have lost their homes and water and sanitation infrastructure has been completely destroyed," she said. "Electricity doesn't exist in Gaza for the last 20 months. None of this is addressed by these food distribution sites.
