Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says 20 dead at aid point
"Our current understanding is that 19 of the victims were trampled and one was stabbed amid a chaotic and dangerous surge," the US- and Israel-backed organisation said in a statement.
"We have credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd - armed and affiliated with Hamas - deliberately fomented the unrest," GHF said in a statement.
Palestinian heath officials said at least 20 people had died of suffocation at the site. One medic said lots of people had been crammed into a small space and had been crushed.
The GHF, which began distributing food packages in late May after Israel lifted an 11-week blockade on humanitarian supplies, has previously rejected UN criticism, accusing it of spreading misinformation.
The UN has called the GHF's model "inherently unsafe" and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards.
GHF operates outside the UN-coordinated aid system and uses private US security and logistics contractors to deliver aid - an approach Israel says reduces the risk of Hamas looting, a charge the group denies.
The United Nations rights office says it has documented at least 875 deaths over the past six weeks near aid sites and convoys in Gaza, the majority of them near GHF distribution points.
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Irish Independent
18 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Paramedic tells of ‘heartbreaking' moment he put children into body bags in Gaza
Sam Sears, 44, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, said his three weeks with frontline charity UK-Med was a 'conveyor belt of carnage', treating a 'steady stream' of patients with blast, shrapnel, and gunshot wounds. Mr Sears said on arrival he was thrown straight into a mass casualty incident where two children, aged nine and 11, died from blast injuries. He said: 'I was tasked with moving the two deceased children out the way to make space for other casualties coming in. I put the children in body bags and zipped them up. 'In the UK I've had to deal with a number of deceased children, but the difference was I'm never involved with putting them in a body bag. It's normally a very calm, slow situation, allowing parents time to grieve. 'So it was particularly heartbreaking putting a child in a body bag, seeing their face for the last time, then moving them out the way so we could treat more people. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. 'Part of me felt guilty that there was no dignity for them because the emergency situation meant it was a case of 'they are dead, let's get them out the way to free the beds'. 'But there was simply no alternative because with such a high volume of casualties, we had to focus on people we might be able to save.' Mr Sears, a paramedic with East Midlands Ambulance Service, who has also carried out humanitarian work in other countries, said that Gaza is like the Ukraine conflict or the earthquake in Turkey 'times one thousand'. He told of seeing a boy, aged about eight, who was 'lifeless behind the eyes – just numb' after losing his whole family in an explosion. The paramedic said a 16-year-old boy was left paralysed and needing amputation after suffering blast and shrapnel wounds and that his 18-year-old brother wept when told he would now have to care for him alone. He also told of seeing more pregnant women and newborn babies suffering severe malnutrition because the mothers lacked the nutrients to breastfeed. Mr Sears, who returned to the UK on July 31, added: 'It might sound weird, but I am keen to return to Gaza. What keeps you going is that you really are making a difference and saving lives. 'That first night, another child came in with shrapnel embedded in their stomach and bleeding internally. I was personally convinced they would die, but we got him to surgery within 20 minutes. 'Next day when I saw them they were recovering well and the prognosis was really good. Gaza's the hardest thing I've ever done but moments like that that keep you going. We have saved that child's life.' Some £19 million of funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has enabled UK-Med to treat more than 500,000 patients at the two UK Government emergency field hospitals in Gaza. The conflict in Gaza began when Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish between militants and civilians and operates under the Hamas government.
The Journal
a day ago
- The Journal
Being a first-time TD: Martin Daly on keeping his GP practice going and his concerns about racism
AS THE DÁIL summer recess continues, we have been working through the list of newly elected TDs to learn more about how they are adjusting to life in Leinster House. Last week we caught up with Fine Gael's James Geoghegan and Fianna Fáil's Erin McGreehan , today we hear from Fianna Fáil TD for Roscommon-Galway, Martin Daly. Following his election in November last year, Daly, a practising GP and former president of the Irish Medical Organisation, was quickly appointed as his party's spokesperson on health and disability. He spoke to The Journal by phone as he travelled from his GP practice to a constituency clinic in Roscommon, and told us how he is managing to juggle the two roles, why it was always going to be Fianna Fáil for him, and shared his concerns about a rise in racism in Ireland. Is life as a TD what you expected? 'Yes. Well, I had been involved in local politics for a long number of years, and I understood the role of the TD pretty well. 'I always respected our TDs and senators and our county councillors as well-intentioned, hard-working individuals. So I was under no illusions that the job would be demanding and that it would entail considerable work and commitment. 'So there are no surprises there from my part. I was a busy GP in my career, and it's very much like that in terms of the demands,' Daly said. Since becoming a TD, Daly has continued to 'help out' at his practice, usually on a Monday or Friday morning when the Dáil isn't sitting. He has worked at the practice in Ballygar in Galway for over 30 years, running it with his wife, Dr Myriam Mangan, and a business partner, Dr Clodagh Murray. In total, four doctors work at the practice, including him, but Daly said they could do with another one now that he is a TD. He says this work, and the issues he saw patients dealing with, has been one of the driving forces that led him to politics. Daly comes from a 'long line of Fianna Fáil supporters', and this is why the party was a 'natural fit' for him. Advertisement 'I was born into a Fianna Fáil family and anything alternative to that would have been considered heresy,' he said, adding that he was involved in Ógra Fianna Fáil in his youth and has long canvassed for Fianna Fáil candidates long before he ever ran for election. Peak and pit What has been the highlight of being a TD so far? 'It's a great privilege, number one, being elected by your constituency. 'So being elected was a highlight, but as a TD, I represented the Oireachtas at the United Nations on 22 July at a high-level intergovernmental meeting on sustainable development. 'I was a first responder from the floor for the panel for sustainable development, equality and health, and I have to say it's not something, if you asked me 12 months ago, I would have expected to have done. And I have to say I was proud to be at the United Nations and representing the Oireachtas.' Daly on the campaign trail Martin Daly Martin Daly Any lowlights? 'The plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza. 'I do think that while the Irish government has gone out on a limb internationally to advocate for Palestinian people in Gaza, there are times I get depressed by the lack of progress. 'Ireland is a small country. We cannot do this on our own. We do need the big countries to act to prevent further genocide in Gaza. And that, to me, is the disappointment that has continued to persist during my time as a TD.' In terms of what more Ireland could do, Daly said he would like the government to 'do everything we can that would be effective in getting the attention of the Israeli Government in terms of how it is prosecuting the war and the occupation of the West Bank.' Asked if he is in favour of including services in the forthcoming Occupied Territories legislation , Daly said: 'My concern is that anything we do should be effective and should have culture-changing behaviour in terms of the Israelis, and that we should also be careful that we don't injure our own prospects in terms of our industry and our employment.' He added: 'I think our best hope is in influencing bigger countries. And we have seen a shift in the British position, in the French position and the Canadian position, and we need to continue to work through the powerful union of the European Union.' Related Reads Being a first-time TD: Will I still be doing this at 80? I don't know but I love it for now. Being a first-time TD: I was told people like me don't go to college. This is a dream come true. Being a first-time TD: 'People are much nicer in the Dáil bar than they are in the chamber' Daly added, however, that he has been 'disappointed by the attitude of the European Union' in relation to Israel and Palestine. Any surprises since becoming a TD? 'Well, it's not really a surprise, but it's really reaffirmed my confidence in people in general. 'The vast majority of people are trying to live their lives productively and happily, and looking for basic access to basic services and are extremely easy to deal with. 'It's reaffirmed my faith in people, and I hope that I personally will be able to add to the constituency and advocate on their behalf nationally.' Final musings 'One concern I've had since becoming a TD is the rise in racism. 'I'm half Indian by birth. My mother was an Indian doctor who came and lived in Ireland and practised here and raised her family,' Daly said. 'I am disappointed and dismayed by the rising racism. And I have to say, I was hugely and emotionally upset by the individual reports of assaults on the Indian community in Ireland.' In recent weeks, the Indian embassy in Ireland has warned its citizens to take safety precautions for their personal safety after what it says has been a rise in physical attacks on members of the Indian community. Just this week, a family in Waterford spoke out about how their six-year-old daughter was attacked and racially abused and a man suffered head injuries after an early morning attack in Dublin. Daly made the point that these communities have been invited in by Ireland to work and said that without them, the country 'would grind to a halt at this stage'. He plans to arrange a meeting with the Indian ambassador to Ireland to discuss the rise in racism. 'I do think public representatives need to speak out about the value that our immigrant community bring to our society and our economy,' Daly said. 'There's a role for government to educate people, but I also think there should be zero tolerance in relation to racism.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Gaza aid distribution sites are ‘death traps', warns MSF, as Cork refugee shares family's plight
Dead bodies, many shot in the head or stomach as they reached out for food, now lie uncollected for weeks at 'aid' delivery sites, decomposing under the bright Gazan sun. 'It's too dangerous to collect them,' Cork chef, Gazan refugee, and UCC student Habib Al Ostaz said. 'They think 'if I go to move him I'll die next to him.' Bodies are now left there for weeks. 'At first, if someone was injured, people would rush to help. If someone died, their body would be taken. Habib Alostaz, manager and chef, next to a map of Palestine in Izz Café, Cork. Picture: Denis Minihane 'But now, when someone is injured trying to get aid, people just care about what food aid they can get themselves. People are so hungry and desperate.' On Thursday, medical aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) described the food distribution sites as 'orchestrated killing.' A new report by MSF found 'both targeted and indiscriminate violence by Israeli forces and private American contractors against starved Palestinians at food distribution sites run by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).' MSF has called for the immediate dismantling of the GHF scheme and the restoration of the UN-coordinated aid delivery mechanism. A Palestinian carries the body of a man killed while trying to receive aid near a distribution center operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Netzarim, in the Gaza Strip. In May, Israeli authorities sought to dismantle the UN-led humanitarian response and replace it with a militarised food distribution scheme operated by GHF. All four GHF-run distribution sites are in areas under full Israeli military control, and 'secured' by private American armed contractors, the report noted. MSF also called on governments, especially the United States, as well as private donors, to suspend all financial and political support for the GHF, "whose sites are essentially death traps." Between June 7 and July 24, 2025, 1,380 casualties, including 28 dead, were received at MSF's Al-Mawasi and Al-Attar clinics in southern Gaza, located near the GHF-run distribution sites. 'During those seven weeks, our teams treated 71 children for gunshot wounds, 25 of whom were under the age of 15. Faced with no alternatives to find food, starved families frequently send teenage boys into this lethal environment, as they are often the only males in the household physically able to make the journey," the report said. Patients also included a 12-year-old boy hit by a bullet that had passed all the way through his abdomen, and five young girls, one of whom was only eight years old and suffered a gunshot wound to her chest, the MSF report said. 'Children shot in the chest while reaching for food. People crushed or suffocated in stampedes. Entire crowds gunned down at distribution points,' Raquel Ayora, MSF General Director said. In MSF's nearly 54 years of operations, rarely have we seen such levels of systematic violence against unarmed civilians 'The GHF distribution sites masquerading as 'aid' have morphed into a laboratory of cruelty,' Ms Ayora said. 'This must stop now.' Speaking from Cork, Mr Al Ostaz questioned what kind of aid GHF was delivering when so many are being killed when trying to access food. He cannot listen to his family's voices anymore, they are so weakened by starvation. 'If you heard them, you would cry,' he said. Palestinians rush to collect humanitarian aid airdropped by parachutes into Zawaida in the central Gaza Strip. Although his father narrowly escaped almost certain death in an airstrike on an aid delivery point earlier this summer, the family was so hungry that they have had to return to the aid delivery sites. 'They just want to eat. The children just want to eat," Mr Al Ostaz said. A kilo bag of flour now costs €60. There is no cash left in ATMs so dealers take 50% commission for giving out any cash from online bank transfers. 'And even if you have money, there's nothing to buy. The markets are empty.' Sometimes, his family grinds lentils to use as a flour to make bread. But this causes some of his family extreme stomach pain. His 45-year-old mother has cancer. Habib and his brother have appealed to the Irish State and the Red Cross to evacuate her for medical treatment in Ireland. But their pleas have gone unanswered. 'We applied one-and-a-half years ago but have no updates on it." Because Mr Al Ostaz does not currently have refugee status in Ireland they did not qualify, he was told. Living in their partially bombed home in northern Gaza, his family can no longer work to rebuild it. Exhausted, their days are now spent searching for food and water and gathering wood to make a fire to cook on. 'It's like they've gone back to the stone age,' Mr Al Ostaz said. Just last week, their neighbour's home was bombed and a deadly fire gutted the building. All six members of the family were killed, including three young children. The youngest was just two years old. The pain in Mr Al Ostaz's voice is awfully audible as he speaks about the tragedy and shares a video of the raging fire which trapped the young family inside their home. 'Dad went to try to save them but the whole family was burned. They were our neighbours. They lived 10m away," he said. 'Imagine if that bomb went to my family.' Habib turned 29 this week but he did not celebrate it. 'I didn't want a celebration. I didn't want gifts. I can't celebrate while my family and so many other people are starving.' Palestinians rush to collect humanitarian aid airdropped by parachutes into Gaza City. The 22-month war has been so relentless in its horror that it leaves no time to process the constant march of tragedies, he said. 'You can't catch the feeling from yesterday, you just have to prepare yourself for the next catastrophe.' He used to dream of meeting his family and hugging them. Now, his biggest dream is that they will stay alive and get enough food to avoid starvation. He used to hope for a good education for his siblings, the youngest of whom is aged five. 'But now I just want them to live and survive,' he said. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel intends to take military control of the entire Gaza Strip, drawing condemnation both internationally and within Israel. Military officials in Israel have warned that such an escalation of the war would risk hostages' lives. On Friday, Israel's political-security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, as the country expands its military operations, however, this plan stopped short of Netanyahu's call for a full takeover of the besieged strip. Any full-scale military takeover of Gaza will cause more deaths and suffering and must be halted immediately, the United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said. But Israel's threats to taken over the entire strip do not feel new or surprising, Mr Al Ostaz said. 'Since 1948 [when the State of Israel was formed and more than 700,000 Palestinians were displaced] we have seen this. 'They only know about occupying lands from the Palestinians. 'This is not new. 'We need him to stop this war, to stop sending weapons. '20,000 children have been killed in Gaza. 'Children are starving, being maimed and murdered. But countries still keep sending arms to Israel. 'What kind of world are we living in? 'Children have been left with no hands, no legs, no water, no education. 'Everyone knows what's going on but they don't do anything about it. 'There has been talk of recognising a Palestinian state. But it's just speeches and useless words when these countries are still sending weapons to Israel."
