
Gaza civil defence says Israeli fire kills 26 near two aid centres
Deaths of people waiting for handouts in huge crowds near food points in Gaza have become a regular occurrence, with the territory's authorities frequently blaming Israeli fire.
But the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has replaced UN agencies as the main distributor of aid in the territory, has accused group Hamas of fomenting unrest and shooting at civilians.
Civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the deaths happened near a site southwest of Khan Yunis and another centre northwest of Rafah, both in the south, attributing the deaths to 'Israeli gunfire'.
One witness said he headed to the Al-Tina area of Khan Yunis before dawn with five of his relatives to try to get food when 'Israeli soldiers' started shooting.
Gaza civil defence says Israeli fire kills 10 aid seekers
'My relatives and I were unable to get anything,' Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, told AFP. 'Every day I go there and all we get is bullets and exhaustion instead of food.'
Three other witnesses also accused troops of opening fire.
'Warning shots'
In response, the Israeli military said it 'identified suspects who approached them during operational activity in the Rafah area, posing a threat to the troops'.
Soldiers called for them to turn back and 'after they did not comply, the troops fired warning shots', it said, adding that it was aware of the reports about casualties.
'The incident is under review. The shots were fired approximately one kilometre (more than half a mile) away from the aid distribution site at nighttime when it's not active,' it said in a statement.
Israeli strikes kill 27 in Gaza, three die in church late pope often spoke to
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties.
The war in Gaza has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people who live in the coastal territory.
Most people have been displaced at least once by the fighting, and doctors and aid agencies say the physical and mental health effects of 21 months of conflict are being increasingly seen.
'We are receiving cases suffering from extreme exhaustion and complete fatigue, in addition to severe emaciation and acute malnutrition due to prolonged lack of food,' the director of the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in Khan Yunis, Sohaib Al-Hums, said on Friday.
'Hundreds' of people were facing 'imminent death', he added.
The World Food Programme said nearly one in three people in Gaza were not eating for days at a stretch and 'thousands' were 'on the verge of catastrophic hunger'.
The free flow of aid into Gaza is a key demand of Hamas in indirect negotiations with Israel for a 60-day ceasefire in the war, alongside a full Israeli military withdrawal.
'Agitators'
Following a more than two-month Israeli aid blockade, GHF took over the running of aid distribution in late May, despite criticism from the United Nations, which previously coordinated handouts, that it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
GHF said 20 people died at its Khan Yunis site on Wednesday but blamed 'agitators in the crowd… armed and affiliated with Hamas' for creating 'a chaotic and dangerous surge' and firing at aid-seekers.
The previous day, the United Nations said it had recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food, including 674 'in the vicinity of GHF sites', since it began operating.
Israel has killed 58,667 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Recorder
10 hours ago
- Business Recorder
13 terrorists killed in separate operations in Malakand, Kalat: ISPR
Security forces have killed 13 Indian-backed terrorists during separate operations in Kalat and Malakand districts, the military's media wing said on Sunday. Security forces killed four terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan's Kalat. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the operation was launched on July 19-20 based on reports about the presence of militants linked to 'Indian proxy network Fitna al Hindustan.' Security forces effectively engaged the hideout, and following an intense exchange of fire, four terrorists were 'sent to hell,' the ISPR said in its statement. The slain terrorists were allegedly involved in multiple acts of terrorism in the area. A cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered during the operation, it said. A follow-up sanitisation operation is underway to eliminate any remaining threat, the military said, adding that Pakistan's security forces remain determined to root out 'Indian-sponsored terrorism' and reaffirm the nation's resolve to bring perpetrators to justice. Nine terrorists killed in Hangu operation Meanwhile, nine Indian sponsored terrorists were killed, while eight others were apprehended in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Malakand region. 'From 16-20 July 2025, a joint intelligence based operation was conducted by the security forces along with police, Levies, CTD and district administration in Malakand district, on reported presence of khwarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Khwarij,' the ISPR said. The security forces surrounded and effectively engaged the khwarij location, and 'after intense multiple fire exchanges nine Indian sponsored khwarij were sent to hell, while eight khwarij were apprehended'. Two hideouts used by khwarij were also busted and a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered, it said. 'Locals of the area appreciated the operation and expressed their full support to the State's counter terrorism efforts,' the ISPR said. The military's media wing said sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji found in the area, as the security forces and law enforcement agencies are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian sponsored terrorism from the country. The development comes days after a Pakistan Army officer was martyred while three terrorists affiliated with the Indian-backed outfit Fitna al Hindustan were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan's Awaran district. The development comes days after a Pakistan Army officer was martyred while three terrorists affiliated with the Indian-backed outfit Fitna al Hindustan were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan's Awaran district.


Business Recorder
11 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Four terrorists killed in Balochistan's Kalat district: ISPR
Security forces killed four terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Kalat district of Balochistan, the military's media wing said on Sunday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was launched on July 19-20 based on reports about the presence of militants linked to 'Indian proxy network Fitna al Hindustan.' Security forces effectively engaged the hideout, and following an intense exchange of fire, four terrorists were 'sent to hell,' the ISPR said in its statement. The slain terrorists were allegedly involved in multiple acts of terrorism in the area. A cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered during the operation. A follow-up sanitisation operation is underway to eliminate any remaining threat, the military said, adding that Pakistan's security forces remain determined to root out 'Indian-sponsored terrorism' and reaffirm the nation's resolve to bring perpetrators to justice. The development comes days after a Pakistan Army officer was martyred while three terrorists affiliated with the Indian-backed outfit Fitna al Hindustan were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan's Awaran district.


Express Tribune
12 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Security forces kill four terrorists in Balochistan
Security forces killed four terrorists in a counter-terrorism operation in the Pahrod area of Balochistan province on Saturday night, intelligence sources said on Sunday. The operation targeted operatives of a group identified by authorities as 'Fitna-e-Hindustan', which has been connected to a series of recent attacks in the province. Read: Major martyred, three India-backed terrorists killed in Awaran IBO: ISPR Security forces launched the raid after confirming movement of terrorists in the area, they said. Weapons and a flag belonging to the group were seized from the terrorists during the raid. A clearance operation is ongoing to secure the region. 'Terrorists and facilitators of Fitna-e-Hindustan will be made an example,' said intelligence sources, referring to ongoing counter-terrorism efforts. Earlier, in Kalat district, at least three passengers were killed and seven injured after a passenger coach travelling from Karachi to Quetta came under fire near Niemurgh Cross. In another attack Terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan abducted and executed nine passengers after removing them from buses in Loralai district.