Israeli forces strike Gaza residential building as 95 Palestinians killed over past 24 hours
Israeli forces killed at least 95 people in Gaza over the last 24 hours, six of them near an aid distribution centre, the local health ministry said on Sunday.
Many more Palestinians were feared dead as rescuers scrambled to find people trapped under the rubble of a residential building bombed in Gaza City.
The Israeli army gave 'no warning, no alert' before striking the building on Saturday, Palestinian civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Basel told Al Jazeera.
The strike killed at least 16 people in the neighbourhood, including several women and children.
'Instead of waking up to cheer our children and dress them up to enjoy Eid,' Hamed Keheel, a displaced Palestinian at the site, said, 'we wake up to carry women and children's bodies from under rubble.'
Six of the Palestinians killed over the last day were on their way to get food aid, Associated Press reported, citing hospital staff in Gaza.
The besieged Palestinian territory's nearly two million people rely almost entirely on food aid after the widespread Israeli destruction of its agriculture and nearly three-month blockade.
The UN has warned that Gaza's population is at dire risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade.
Shootings by Israeli forces are being reported frequently near aid distribution hubs run by US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah where Palestinians gather to receive food aid.
In all, according to Gaza health officials, over 80 people have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers near these aid hubs over just two weeks.
'As soon as some people tried to advance towards the aid centre, the Israeli forces opened fire from armoured vehicles stationed near the centre, firing into the air and then at civilians,' Gaza resident Samir Abu Hadid told AFP news agency.
The controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operations in late May, replacing UN networks that have been working in the region for decades.
Critics have slammed the group saying its operations weaponise aid.
'There is no food, no flour, no shelter, no mosques, no homes, no mattresses,' Kamel Emran, a resident of Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis, told AP after attending Eid prayers on Saturday. 'The conditions are very, very harsh.'
On Saturday, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it could not distribute any humanitarian relief due to Hamas-issued 'direct threats'.
'These threats made it impossible to proceed today without putting innocent lives at risk,' the group alleged in a statement.
Hamas told Reuters that it had no knowledge of these 'alleged threats'.
Since Israel invaded Gaza in October 2023, its soldiers have killed over 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Amid the looming famine, health authorities have recorded more than 300 miscarriages over 80 days in Gaza, with basic medical supplies like vitamins and iron supplements impossible to obtain.
'What we are seeing now is the direct fallout of Israel's weaponising of hunger in Gaza, impacting babies' growth,' Brenda Kelly, a consultant obstetrician at Oxford University Hospital, told Al Jazeera, 'and growth restriction is one of the leading causes of miscarriages and stillbirth.'
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Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Palestinians say 5 killed by Israeli fire near aid sites. Israel says it fired warning shots
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials and witnesses say at least five people were killed and others were wounded by Israeli fire as they headed toward two aid distribution points in the Gaza Strip run by an Israeli and U.S.-backed group. Israel's military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces. Four bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis. Palestinian witnesses there said Israeli forces had fired on them at a roundabout that is around a kilometer (half-mile) from a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the nearby city of Rafah. The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people it said were suspects who had advanced toward its forces and ignored warnings to turn away. It said the shooting occurred in an area in southern Gaza that is considered an active combat zone at night. Meanwhile, Al-Awda Hospital said in a statement that it received the body of a 42-year-old man and 29 people who were wounded near another GHF aid distribution point, in central Gaza. The military said it fired warning shots in the area at around 6:40 a.m. but did not see any casualties. A GHF spokesperson said there was no violence in or around its distribution sites, all three of which delivered aid on Sunday. The group had closed them temporarily last week to discuss safety measures with the Israeli military and has warned people to stay on designated access routes. The spokesperson spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Deadly shootings near new aid hubs The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed , according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel's military has said it fired warning shots or, in some instances, near individuals approaching its forces. Witnesses said Sunday's shooting in southern Gaza occurred at around 6 a.m., when they were told the site would open. Many had headed toward it early to try and get desperately needed food before the crowds. Adham Dahman, 30, who was at Nasser Hospital with a bandage on his chin, said a tank had fired toward them. 'We didn't know how to escape,' he said. 'This is trap for us, not aid.' Zahed Ben Hassan, another witness, said someone next to him was shot in the head. He said that he and others pulled the body from the scene and managed to flee to the hospital. 'They said it was a safe area from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. ... So why did they start shooting at us?' he said. 'There was light out, and they have their cameras and can clearly see us.' The military had announced on Friday that the sites would be open during those hours, and that the area would be a closed military zone from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. Risk of famine The hubs are set up inside Israeli military zones — where independent media have no access — and are run by GHF, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups. Israel and the United States accuse the militant Hamas group of stealing aid, while the U.N. denies there is any systematic diversion. The U.N. says the new system is unable to meet mounting needs and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon by determining who can receive it and forcing people to relocate to where the aid sites are positioned. The U.N. system has meanwhile struggled to deliver aid — even after Israel eased its complete blockade of Gaza last month. U.N. officials say their efforts are hindered by Israeli military restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting. Experts warned earlier this year that Gaza was at critical risk of famine if Israel did not lift its blockade and halt its military campaign, which Israeli officials have said will continue until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Talks mediated by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been deadlocked for months . Israel says a spokesman for Gaza's Civil Defense is a Hamas member In a separate development, the Israeli military accused a spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense of being an active Hamas member, according to documents it said were recovered during operations inside Gaza. The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the documents, which purport to show that Mahmoud Bassal joined Hamas in 2005. Bassal did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Civil Defense are first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government and often are first to arrive at the scenes of Israeli strikes. Hamas started the war with its massive attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinians militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 people hostage. They are still holding 55 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel has recovered dozens of bodies, including three in recent days , and rescued eight living hostages over the course of the war. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It has said women and children make up most of the dead but does not say how many civilians or combatants were killed. Israel says it has killed over 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population. The territory's roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all of Gaza's food production capabilities have been destroyed. ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's war coverage at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Israeli military kills 4 near aid distribution site in Gaza, medics say
TEL AVIV/GAZA (Reuters) -Four people were killed and others injured by Israeli forces on Sunday as Palestinians making their way to an aid distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip came under fire, according to Palestinian paramedics. The Israeli military said in a statement that troops had opened fire in southern Gaza but said that it had directed warning shots at a group that was moving towards soldiers and deemed a threat to them. It was the latest bout of shooting near aid distribution points in Gaza's south since a controversial Israeli- and U.S.-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, began handing out aid late last month. Palestinian paramedics said they had evacuated the bodies of four people who were killed early on Sunday near an aid distribution venue in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Media affiliated with Gaza's dominant Hamas militant group reported that the Israeli military had opened fire near a distribution site in Rafah operated by the GHF. The Israeli military statement said the people towards whom warning shots were fired before dawn on Sunday had been verbally warned to leave the area, which was considered an active military zone at the time. The military has said people should only move to and from the GHF distribution centres between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., with non-daylight hours considered a closed military period. The military acknowledged reports of injuries but did not specify how many people it believed had been hurt or shot. Sanaa Doghmah said her husband, Khaled, 36, was fatally shot in the head while trying to reach a distribution site in Rafah to collect food for their five children. "He was going to get food for his children and himself, to make them live, feed them because they don't have a pinch of flour at home," Khaled's aunt, Salwah, said at his funeral. The GHF, which is handing out aid under an Israeli initiative that is bypassing traditional relief agencies who say their deliveries into Israeli-blockaded Gaza have been restricted, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. GHF: AID HANDED OUT The U.S.-based organisation earlier said in a Facebook post that aid was distributed in central and southern Gaza on Sunday. It had handed out no aid on Saturday, accusing Hamas of making threats that "made it impossible" to operate in the enclave, which the Islamist group denied. The GHF uses private American military contractors to operate its sites and has been accused of a lack of neutrality and independence by U.N. and other international humanitarian agencies. It has denied such accusations. Israel relented to international pressure to allow limited U.N.-led operations to resume on May 19 after an 11-week blockade in the enclave of 2.3 million people, where experts have warned a famine looms. The U.N. has described the aid allowed into Gaza as "drop in the ocean." While the GHF has said there have been no incidents at its so-called secure distribution sites, Palestinians seeking aid have described scenes of disorder and access routes to the sites have been beset by chaos and deadly violence. Dozens of Palestinians were killed near GHF sites on June 1-3, Gaza health authorities said. Israel's military has said it was investigating the incidents but that warning shots were fired in each incident, and that on Tuesday it had also fired at Palestinians advancing towards troops. The GHF did not give out aid on Wednesday as it pressed Israel to boost civilian safety beyond its sites, then on Friday it paused some aid distribution "due to excessive crowding." The Israeli military said on Saturday that 350 trucks of humanitarian aid belonging to the U.N. and other international relief groups were transferred this week via the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Palestinians say at least 4 killed by Israeli fire near aid site. Israel says it fired warning shots
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials and witnesses say at least four people were killed and others were wounded by Israeli fire around a kilometer (half-mile) from an aid distribution point in the Gaza Strip run by an Israeli and U.S.-backed group. Israel's military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces. The bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis, which confirmed the toll. Palestinian witnesses said Israeli forces had fired on them at a roundabout in the nearby city of Rafah as they went to get food from a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people it said were suspects who had advanced toward its forces and ignored warnings to turn away. It said the shooting occurred in an area in southern Gaza that is considered an active combat zone at night. The GHF did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It says there has been no violence at the sites themselves. But it closed them temporarily last week to discuss safety measures with the Israeli military and has warned people to stay on designated access routes. In a separate development, the Israeli military accused a spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense of being an active Hamas member, according to documents it said were recovered during operations inside Gaza. The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the documents, which purport to show that Mahmoud Bassal joined Hamas in 2005. Bassal did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Civil Defense are first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government and often are first to arrive at the scenes of Israeli strikes. Deadly shootings near new aid hubs The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel's military has said it fired warning shots or, in some instances, near individuals approaching its forces. Witnesses said Sunday's shooting occurred at around 6 a.m., when they were told the site would open. Many had headed toward it early to try and get desperately needed food before the crowds. Adham Dahman, 30, who was at Nasser Hospital with a bandage on his chin, said a tank had fired toward them. 'We didn't know how to escape," he said. "This is trap for us, not aid.' Zahed Ben Hassan, another witness, said someone next to him was shot in the head. He said that he and others pulled the body from the scene and managed to flee to the hospital. 'They said it was a safe area from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. ... So why did they start shooting at us?' he said. 'There was light out, and they have their cameras and can clearly see us.' The military had announced on Friday that the sites would be open during those hours, and that the area would be a closed military zone from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. Risk of famine The hubs are set up inside Israeli military zones — where independent media have no access — and are run by GHF, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups. Israel and the United States accuse the militant Hamas group of stealing aid, while the U.N. denies there is any systematic diversion. The U.N. says the new system is unable to meet mounting needs and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon by determining who can receive it and forcing people to relocate to where the aid sites are positioned. The U.N. system has meanwhile struggled to deliver aid — even after Israel eased its complete blockade of Gaza last month. U.N. officials say their efforts are hindered by Israeli military restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting. Experts warned earlier this year that Gaza was at critical risk of famine if Israel did not lift its blockade and halt its military campaign, which Israeli officials have said will continue until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Talks mediated by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been deadlocked for months. Hamas started the war with its massive attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinians militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 people hostage. They are still holding 55 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel has recovered dozens of bodies, including three in recent days, and rescued eight living hostages over the course of the war. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It has said women and children make up most of the dead but does not say how many civilians or combatants were killed. Israel says it has killed over 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population. The territory's roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all of Gaza's food production capabilities have been destroyed. ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's war coverage at Wafaa Shurafa And Kareem Chehayeb, The Associated Press
