logo
Gaza: 85 Palestinians seeking aid allegedly killed by Israeli forces

Gaza: 85 Palestinians seeking aid allegedly killed by Israeli forces

Scroll.in21-07-2025
At least 85 Palestinians seeking aid were killed in Gaza on Sunday after Israeli forces allegedly opened fire on them, the Associated Press reported.
The largest toll was reported from the northern part of the besieged Palestinian enclave, where at least 79 Palestinians were killed while trying to reach aid entering through the Zikim crossing with Israel, Zaher al-Waheidi, an official from Gaza's health ministry told the news agency.
The United Nations' World Food Programme said that 25 trucks with aid for 'starving communities' had entered through the crossing when it encountered massive crowds. 'As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire,' it said on X.
An unidentified United Nations official also told AP that Israeli forces opened fire towards crowds who tried to take food from the convoy.
The World Food Programme said that it was concerned and saddened by the killings.
'These people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation,' it added. 'This terrible incident underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which humanitarian operations are forced to be conducted in Gaza.'
The killing also came despite assurances from Israeli authorities that humanitarian operational conditions would improve, including that armed forces will not be present nor engage at any stage along humanitarian convoy routes, the organisation said.
On its part, the Israeli military said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza who posed a threat and added that it was aware of some casualties, AP reported.
However, it claimed that the toll reported by the officials in Gaza was far higher than what its initial investigation found. The military also accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of creating chaos.
Apart from northern Gaza, Al-Waheidi also said that Israeli gunfire killed another six Palestinians in the Shakoush area, the news agency reported. This was hundreds of meters north of a hub of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a United States and Israel-backed group, in Rafah, he added.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation claimed that it was not aware of any such incident near its site.
Additionally, seven Palestinians, including a five-year-old boy, were killed while sheltering in tents in Khan Younis, AP quoted the Kuwait Specialized Field Hospital as saying.
Israel's military offensive in Gaza began in October 2023 after Hamas killed 1,200 persons during its incursion into southern Israel and took hostages. Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza since then, leaving more than 57,000 persons dead.
Tel Aviv has also enforced a severe blockade on humanitarian aid, which United Nations officials say has brought the population to the verge of famine.
On Sunday, the World Food Programme reiterated that Gaza's hunger crisis had reached 'new levels of desperation', adding that residents of the enclave were dying due to a lack of humanitarian assistance.
It added that malnutrition was surging, with 90,000 women and children in urgent need of treatment.
'Nearly one person in three is not eating for days,' the organisation said. 'Only a massive scale-up in food aid distributions can stabilise this spiralling situation, calm anxieties and rebuild the trust within communities that more food is coming.'
The developments also come amid evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military for parts of central Gaza, AP reported. This is one of the few areas where it has rarely operated with ground troops and where many international organisations trying to distribute aid are located.
Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar. Earlier, efforts to reinstate a brief ceasefire that took effect in January had stalled due to major disagreements between Hamas and Israel.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Lebanon sentences six in killing of UN peacekeeper, main defendant gets death penalty
Lebanon sentences six in killing of UN peacekeeper, main defendant gets death penalty

Indian Express

time16 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Lebanon sentences six in killing of UN peacekeeper, main defendant gets death penalty

Lebanon's military court convicted six people accused of killing a UN peacekeeper, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said Tuesday. Lebanese officials said the chief defendant was sentenced to death.'UNIFIL welcomes the conclusion of the trial process and the Government of Lebanon's commitment to bring the perpetrators to justice,' it said in a statement. UNIFIL did not give further details, but three Lebanese judicial officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said the court had issued a death sentence in absentia Monday against Mohammad Ayyad, the main defendant in the case. The ruling Ayyad had been arrested in December 2022 in connection with the killing of Pvt. Seán Rooney, 24, an Irish peacekeeper. He was released on bail in November 2023 after his lawyer provided medical documents showing he had cancer. Monday's court ruling, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, handed down a fine of 100 million Lebanese pounds (about $1,117) to Ayyad in addition to the death sentence. Three others — Hussein Suleiman, Mustafa Suleiman and Ali Hakim — received only fines, while defendants Ali Khalifeh and Ali Suleiman were sentenced to one and three months in prison, respectively. A sixth defendant, Mohammad Mezher, was acquitted. Ayyad was not present for the session, with his attorney saying he was ill and hospitalized, while the other defendants appeared in court, the Lebanese officials said. On the fatal night, Rooney and several other Irish soldiers from UNIFIL were on their way from their base in southern Lebanon to the Beirut airport. Two UN vehicles apparently took a detour through the town of Al-Aqbiya, which is not part of the area under the peacekeepers' mandate, when a mob opened fire at them. Initial reports said angry residents confronted the peacekeepers, but the indictment concluded that the shooting was a targeted attack and alleged that the defendants were linked to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The Lebanese officials said the defendants who appeared in court Monday had testified that some of them were watching a sports match and noticed a vehicle passing suspiciously several times on a narrow residential street, leading a crowd to gather. They claimed that they were unaware the vehicle belonged to UNIFIL. Hezbollah officials did not respond to requests for comment. UNIFIL was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel's 1978 invasion. The UN expanded its mission following the 2006 war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, allowing peacekeepers to deploy along the Israeli border to help the Lebanese military extend its authority into the country's south for the first time in decades. Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon frequently accuse the UN mission of collusion with Israel, while Israel has accused the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah's military activities in southern Lebanon. The peacekeeping force's mandate is up for renewal in August for the first time since last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended with a US-mediated ceasefire in November.

Netherlands bans Israeli ministers over Gaza war, EU weighs sanctions
Netherlands bans Israeli ministers over Gaza war, EU weighs sanctions

Indian Express

time16 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Netherlands bans Israeli ministers over Gaza war, EU weighs sanctions

The Netherlands has banned two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country, citing their support for the Gaza war, as pressure grows within Europe for stronger action over the worsening humanitarian crisis. The ban affects Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp informed lawmakers of the decision in a letter late Monday, writing: 'The war in Gaza must stop.' Both ministers are known supporters of Jewish settlements and have backed continuing the war, as well as what they describe as the 'voluntary emigration' of Palestinians from Gaza. The Netherlands is the first European country to issue such a ban, but other nations have already taken similar steps. Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway imposed financial sanctions on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich last month. In response, Israel's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had summoned the Dutch ambassador in protest. According to Reuters, a ministry spokesperson said the move followed the 'unacceptable' travel ban on Israeli ministers. The European Union is also considering further measures. The European Commission has proposed partially suspending Israel's participation in a €900 million science and technology programme, particularly access to its €200 million-a-year investment arm, which funds projects in areas such as cybersecurity, drones, and artificial intelligence. According to officials cited by AP, the proposed suspension is 'targeted and reversible,' and would not affect the parts of the programme focused solely on civilian use. The Commission said Israel's military campaign in Gaza had violated the terms of a bilateral agreement with the EU. The European Parliament may vote on the proposal, which would require support from at least 15 of the EU's 27 member states. Separately, a leaked document seen by the Associated Press outlines other options under discussion, including suspending an aviation agreement with Israel, blocking imports from settlements, and restricting Israeli travel in Europe's visa-free Schengen zone. Countries such as Ireland, Spain, and the Netherlands have also called on Israel to open more border crossings and allow greater humanitarian access. Aid teams from the EU have reportedly been unable to enter Gaza despite recent temporary pauses in fighting. Veldkamp said the Dutch government would also call in the Israeli ambassador to urge Netanyahu to take 'immediate measures that lead to a substantial and rapid improvement in the humanitarian situation throughout the Gaza Strip.' Over the weekend, Israel announced several measures, including humanitarian pauses and aid airdrops. However, Palestinians say conditions on the ground have not changed. Israel blames Hamas for blocking aid deliveries, accusing the group of diverting supplies. The United Nations, however, has said such looting is not widespread and that aid distribution improves when larger quantities are allowed into the enclave. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. They are accused of using starvation as a weapon and targeting civilians allegations both men deny. ICC member states are obligated to arrest them if they enter their territories. In reaction to the Netherlands' decision, Smotrich said on social media, as quoted by AP: 'European leaders are surrendering to the lies of radical Islam.' Ben-Gvir added: 'A Jewish minister from Israel is unwanted in Europe, terrorists are free, and Jews are boycotted.'

Targeted attack on Jews? Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner's death in Midtown shooting raises questions
Targeted attack on Jews? Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner's death in Midtown shooting raises questions

Time of India

time23 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Targeted attack on Jews? Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner's death in Midtown shooting raises questions

Wesley LePatner was the Blackstone executive killed in the Manhattan shooting. The Blackstone executive who was killed by 27-year-old crazed gunman Shane Tamura was a well-known Jewish figure in the community who even received an award in 2023 for her generosity to the community. The identification of the Wesley turned the random shooting into a targeted killing as many commentators said the earlier theories linking Tamura's manifesto, blaming the NFL, do not hold water after it's found that one of the victims was a Jew. Who was Wesley LePatner ? A senior managing director of financial giant Blackstone, Wesley LePatner joined Blackstone in 2014 and served as the global head of Core+ Real Estate and chief executive officer for Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust — a $53 billion property owner, according to Bloomberg. The Yale graduate previously worked at Goldman Sachs for more than a decade and serves on numerous Big Apple boards, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 'We are heartbroken to share that our colleague, Wesley LePartner, was among those who lost theor lives in the tragic incident at 345 Park Avenue,' Blackstone told The New York Post in a statement. 'Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What Will Happen to Your Body If You Start Eating 3 Eggs Every Day? Undo 'She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. 'She embodied the best of Blackstone. Our prayers are with her husband, children and family.' 'This has nothing to do with NFL' Right-wing commentator and President Donald Trump's aide Laura Loomer trained the gun at New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and said that the group that was behind the shooting was the same group that Mamdani was photographed with. "The Blackstone building is one of the locations that was listed as a 'Globalize the Intifada Zone of Operation' by the Palestinian jihadi group 'Within Our Lifetime' @WOLPalestine. This is the same group that @ZohranKMamdani has been photographed protesting with. Witnesses said they heard the shooter yell free Palestine. Blackstone has a Jewish CEO and the shooter shot and killed a Jewish executive. This has nothing to do with the NFL. This shooting was another targeted attack on Jews by a pro-jihadi domestic terrorist who aligned with the Palestinian movement," Loomer posted. Midtown shooting: NFL connetion of shooter Shane Tamura Mayor Eric Adams said shooter Shane Tamura probably targeted the NFL office, as a strange manifesto was found on him in which he blamed football for his brain disease CTE -- chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE is caused by repeated head trauma possible from playing football for a long time but Tamura never played football professionally.

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