logo
Israeli tanks ‘open fire into crowd trying to get food from aid trucks in Gaza killing dozens' as IDF launches probe

Israeli tanks ‘open fire into crowd trying to get food from aid trucks in Gaza killing dozens' as IDF launches probe

The Sun21 hours ago
ISRAELI tanks opened fire into a crowd desperate to get food from aid trucks in Gaza, with the IDF launching a probe.
The Israeli military said its troops had fired warning shots in the direction of a crowd of thousands of people to rid what it called "an immediate threat".
5
5
The Hamas-run health ministry claims at least 85 civilians were killed while trying to reach food today, which would make it the deadliest day for aid-seekers in the entire war.
But the IDF disputes the death toll, saying the "reported number of casualties does not align with the existing information".
It also accused Hamas militants of creating chaos.
There was new alarm as Israel's military issued evacuation orders for parts of central Gaza.
The largest death toll was in devastated northern Gaza, where living conditions are especially harrowing.
At least 79 Palestinians were tragically killed while trying to reach aid entering through the Zikim crossing with Israel, Zaher al-Waheidi, the head of the Health Ministry's records department, said.
The UN World Food Program said 25 trucks with aid had entered for starving people when it encountered massive crowds.
An anonymous UN official said Israeli forces opened fire toward crowds who tried to take food from the convoy.
Israel's military said soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza who posed a threat, and it was aware of some casualties.
More than 150 people were wounded, some in critical condition, hospitals said.
Al-Waheidi said Israeli gunfire killed another six Palestinians in the Shakoush area, hundreds of meters north of a hub of the recently created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
After the tragic reports emerged, the US- and Israel-backed GHF stressed the shooting occurred near a UN aid convoy - not near any of their distribution hubs.
Witnesses and health workers say several hundred people have been killed by Israeli fire while trying to access the group's aid distribution sites.
The horrific incident came as Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly maintained that expanding Israel's military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas into negotiations.
Earlier this month, Israel's military said it controlled more than 65 per cent of Gaza.
Gaza's population of more than two million Palestinians are currently facing a devastating humanitarian crisis and relying predominantly on the limited aid allowed into the territory.
Ambulances in front of three major hospitals in Gaza sounded their alarms simultaneously Sunday in an urgent appeal as hunger grows.
The Health Ministry posted pictures on social media of doctors holding signs about malnourished children and the lack of medication.
The GHF uses private security contractors to distribute aid from sites in Gaza.
The UN among other international aid groups have boycotted the foundation, claiming that Israel is weaponising food and that it will lead to further displacement of Palestinians.
They added that it undermines the principle that humanitarian aid should be distributed independently of the parties to a conflict, based on need.
5
5
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UK joins call for 'immediate' end to war in Gaza as IDF moves into Deir al-Balah
UK joins call for 'immediate' end to war in Gaza as IDF moves into Deir al-Balah

STV News

time21 minutes ago

  • STV News

UK joins call for 'immediate' end to war in Gaza as IDF moves into Deir al-Balah

The UK government and 25 others have called for an 'immediate' end to the war in Gaza, as the IDF has launched an assault on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The joint statement, released by the Foreign Office, condemns the 'horrifying' killing of Palestinians seeking aid, and brands Israeli government's aid strategy in Gaza as 'dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.' It comes as the IDF ordered the evacuation of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, with charities in the city reporting Israeli military vehicles on the ground. The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new 25 other partners, the UK message is clear: the war in Gaza must end now. We need an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages and a full resumption of — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 21, 2025 The statement was signed by the Foreign Secretary David Lammy and foreign ministers of other 24 nations including Canada, Australia and France, and the EU Commissioner for Equality. They condemn the 'drip feeding of aid' and the 'inhumane' killing of civilians, including children, while searching for water and food. It continues: 'It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. 'The Israeli Government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law. 'The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release. A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families. 'We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life-saving work safely and effectively.' Meanwhile, the IDF has ordered Palestinians to evacuate Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and move south towards Al-Mawasi. Deir al-Balah had previously been considered one of the less hard-hit parts of the territory, and had been a key hub for humanitarian efforts. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), a spokesman for the IDF said the army continued to operate with 'great force' and was expanding its operations into 'an area it has not operated in before.' #عاجل ‼️ إلى جميع المتواجدين في المنطقة الجنوبية الغربية من دير البلح، في البلوكات 130، 132-134، 136-139، 2351، بما في ذلك المتواجدين داخل الخيام الموجودة في المنطقة ⭕️يواصل جيش الدفاع العمل بقوة كبيرة لتدمير قدرات العدو والبنى التحتية الإرهابية في المنطقة حيث يوسّع أنشطته في… — افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) July 20, 2025 A spokesperson for charity Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP) has described the situation in Deir al-Balah as 'extremely critical.' They added: 'Shelling is taking place all around our office, and military vehicles are just 400 metres away from our colleagues and their families, who endured a harrowing night after relocating there. 'Everyone is now evacuating, with most unsure where to go next. One colleague shared that the area is filled with shelling and quadcopter strikes, and there's growing fear about both staying and attempting to leave.' Smoke was seen rising over the Gaza Strip on Monday as Israel widened evacuation orders. On Sunday, Medical Aid for Palestinians confirmed the IDF's evacuation order area included humanitarian and primary healthcare sites it operated. It said the forced displacement orders do not allow for the transport medial equipment or supplies. Steve Cutts, MAP's Interim CEO, said: 'This latest forced displacement order is yet another attack on humanitarian operations and a deliberate attempt to sever the last remaining threads of Gaza's health and aid system. 'MAP now has to suspend critical services we have been providing to the Palestinian population, including a primary health clinic that serves hundreds of civilians every day. 'With Israel's systematic targeting of health and aid workers, no one is safe. Not only are we prevented from carrying out our lifesaving work to support Palestinians, we are also unable to protect our own teams.' As talks for a ceasefire continue, the death toll in Gaza has reached more than 59,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

UN concerned by Taliban's arrest of Afghan women for dress code violations
UN concerned by Taliban's arrest of Afghan women for dress code violations

Powys County Times

time40 minutes ago

  • Powys County Times

UN concerned by Taliban's arrest of Afghan women for dress code violations

The United Nations has expressed concern about the Taliban's arrest of Afghan women and girls for their alleged failure to comply with dress code restrictions. In May 2022, the Taliban government issued a decree calling for women to show only their eyes and recommending they wear a head-to-toe burqa. The Taliban, which returned to power in 2021, has cracked down on the way women dress and behave in public, notably through morality laws forbidding them to show their faces outside the home. The UN mission in Afghanistan said it was concerned by the arrest of 'numerous' women and girls in Kabul between July 16 and 19, who authorities claimed had not followed instructions on wearing the hijab, or the Islamic headscarf. 'These incidents serve to further isolate women and girls, contribute to a climate of fear, and erode public trust,' the mission added, without details including the number of arrests or the ages and where they have been held. The UN mission urged the Taliban government to 'rescind policies and practices' that restrict women and girls' human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly the ban on education beyond sixth grade. A Taliban representative was not immediately available for comment. In January 2024, the country's Vice and Virtue Ministry said it had arrested women in the Afghan capital for wearing 'bad hijab'. A ministry spokesman, Abdul Ghafar Farooq, did not say how many women were arrested or what constituted bad hijab. The UN mission said at the time it was looking into claims of ill treatment of the women and extortion in exchange for their release. The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and Nato forces. Since then, the Taliban administration has sought international recognition while enforcing its interpretation of Islamic law.

Lammy and counterparts accuse Israel of depriving Gazans of ‘human dignity'
Lammy and counterparts accuse Israel of depriving Gazans of ‘human dignity'

Powys County Times

timean hour ago

  • Powys County Times

Lammy and counterparts accuse Israel of depriving Gazans of ‘human dignity'

David Lammy has joined other foreign ministers in condemning the Israeli government for depriving Gazans 'of human dignity' as they called on the war to 'end now'. The Foreign Secretary and counterparts from 24 other nations including Australia, Canada and France, plus the EU commissioner for equality, urged the Israeli government to 'immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid'. They also described proposals to move 600,000 Palestinians to a so-called 'humanitarian city' in Rafah as 'completely unacceptable'. In a statement shared on Monday afternoon, the politicians said: 'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. 'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.' The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. Alongside 25 other partners, the UK message is clear: the war in Gaza must end now. We need an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages and a full resumption of aid. — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 21, 2025 They said it is 'horrifying' that hundreds of Palestinians 'have been killed while seeking aid' and that the 'Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable'. The foreign ministers reiterated calls for the remaining people being held hostage by Hamas to be released and asked for 'all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law'. Earlier this month Israeli defence minister Israel Katz laid out plans for the 'humanitarian city' in Rafah, Gaza's most southern city which has been heavily damaged through the war. He reportedly said that the military would initially move 600,000 Palestinians there, with the aim of eventually transferring the whole population to Rafah. 'Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a 'humanitarian city' are completely unacceptable,' the foreign ministers said on Monday. 'Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.' The signatories also pledged that they would be 'prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire'. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry have said dozens of people were killed trying to access food aid over the weekend. At the Commons Liaison Committee, Sir Keir Starmer restated his view that the situation in Gaza is 'intolerable'. He reiterated the UK's commitment to recognising a Palestinian state 'at a time most conducive to the prospects of peace' in the region. The Prime Minister told MPs: 'The situation on the ground in Gaza is intolerable on so many levels and we make that absolutely clear in all our exchanges with Israel and with other countries. 'Whether that's the deaths of those that are queuing for aid, whether it's the plans to force Palestinians to live in certain areas or be excluded from certain areas, they are all intolerable and absolutely wrong in principle.' Sir Keir's government faced criticism from the Labour chairwoman of the Commons International Development Committee over the continued supply of parts for the F-35 fighter jet to Israel. Sarah Champion said: 'Alongside 25 other countries, the UK has issued a statement condemning Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank but failed to provide concrete actions on how they will be held to account. 'The committee's recent report on upholding international law, and our challenge on F-35 components, both give the Government practical tools to compel Israel to meet its obligations as an occupying nation.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store