Gaza doctors give their own blood to patients after scores gunned down seeking aid
Gaza doctors donate their own blood as patients are too malnourished, MSF says.
MSF staff protest deadly Israeli-backed aid system after 102 killed seeking food.
US vetoes UN resolution for ceasefire and unrestricted aid to Gaza.
Doctors in the Gaza Strip are donating their own blood to save their patients after scores of Palestinians were gunned down while trying to get food aid, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Thursday.
Around 100 MSF staff protested outside the UN headquarters in Geneva against an aid distribution system in Gaza run by an Israeli-backed private company, which has led to chaotic scenes of mass carnage.
MSF Switzerland's director general, Stephen Cornish, told Reuters at the protest:
People need the basics of life...they also need it in dignity.
'If you're fearing for your life, running with packages being mowed down, this is just something that is completely beyond everything we've ever seen.
'These attacks have killed dozens...They were left to bleed out on the ground.'
Cornish said staff at one of the hospitals where MSF operates had to give blood as most Palestinians are now too poorly nourished to donate.
Israel allowed the private Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to begin food distribution in Gaza last week, after having completely shut the Gaza Strip to all supplies since the beginning of March.
Gaza authorities say at least 102 Palestinians were killed and nearly 500 wounded trying to get aid from the food distribution sites in the first eight days.
Eyewitnesses have said Israeli forces fired on crowds. The Israeli military said Hamas militants were to blame for opening fire, though it acknowledged that on Tuesday, when at least 27 people died, that its troops had fired at 'suspects' who approached their positions.
The United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Wednesday supported by all other Council members, which would have called for an 'immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire' in Gaza and unhindered access for aid.
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How Closures at Food Distribution Hubs Are Impacting Gazans
Palestinians receive food from a charity distribution point in Khan Yunis, Gaza on June 05, 2025. Credit - Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images The organization tasked with delivering food aid in Gaza halted operations at its distribution centers this week following a series of fatal incidents near aid sites, raising urgent questions about how humanitarian assistance can be delivered safely in the weeks ahead. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private group backed by Israel and the U.S. said in a statement on social media Wednesday that centers would be 'closed for update, organization, and efficiency improvement work." On Thursday, the organization said two of its aid centers were open, while two other hubs remained closed. In total, over 1.4 million meals were distributed on the day, across the two centers, according to the GHF. But on Friday, June 6, the GHF announced that all aid hubs would once again be closed for the day, warning people to stay away from sites for their own safety. Here's what has been reported regarding the circumstances surrounding the closure of aid centers. The closures came after a number of incidents in which Palestinians collecting aid from hubs have been killed. On Sunday, June 1, 31 Palestinians were killed at an aid hub, according to Reuters and the Associated Press, citing Gaza's Health Ministry and witnesses, after Israeli soldiers opened fire near crowds. In a statement on X, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it 'did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site and that reports to this effect are false.' CNN reported that sound and video of gunfire from the site was consistent with that of weapons used by the IDF, and that the rate of fire 'appears to rule out' weapons used by Hamas. Pictures of bullets from the scene were also consistent with machine guns used by the IDF as they can be mounted on tanks, according to the news outlet. Weapons experts told the BBC that both the IDF and armed Palestinian groups have access to weapons that use these types of rounds. In a post by the GHF Sunday, civilians were warned that Israeli troops were operating in the area surrounding the aid hub at the time of the shooting, and that it was prohibited to enter before 5 a.m. On Monday, June 2, three Palestinians were killed, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told the BBC, at the same location as Sunday's killings. The IDF said on Monday morning that it 'was aware of reports regarding casualties, and the details of the incident are being looked into.' The statement added that approximately half a kilometer from the aid site, 'IDF troops identified several suspects moving toward them, deviating from the designated routes. The troops carried out warning fire, and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near individual suspects who advanced toward the troops.' The IDF has not provided any further statement to TIME regarding the incidents on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday marked the third day in a row of deadly incidents at the distribution center. At least 27 people were killed, according to the Red Cross. The Red Cross said Tuesday that its field hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, received 184 patients, 19 of whom were dead upon arrival and an additional eight who died at the hospital. The majority of cases had suffered gunshot wounds, the Red Cross said. A spokesperson told TIME that all responsive patients from Tuesday's mass casualty event had told the aid organisation they were trying to reach an aid distribution site. 'The ICRC urgently reiterates its call for the respect and protection of civilians. Civilians trying to access humanitarian assistance should not have to confront danger,' the Red Cross said. The IDF however said that troops fired warning shots Tuesday towards suspects that had deviated from designated aid routes. 'Troops are not preventing the arrival of Gazan civilians to the humanitarian aid distribution sites,' the IDF said in a statement. 'The warning shots were fired approximately half a kilometer away from the humanitarian aid distribution site toward several suspects who advanced toward the troops in such a way that posed a threat to them.' United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk condemned Tuesday's incident, calling for 'a prompt and impartial investigation into each of these attacks,' adding that those responsible must be 'held to account.' GHF is a U.S. private organization that has been backed by Israel and the U.S. to be the sole distributor of aid in Gaza. This came after Israel imposed an 11-week blockade on the territory in early March. Israel allowed aid into Gaza in May, following international pressure and condemnation of the humanitarian situation. But the United Nations called the initial aid 'a drop in the ocean.' The GHF was designated to distribute aid in Gaza. But the day before operations began, on May 25, the foundation's lead Jake Wood resigned, saying he would not be able to work in a way that met 'humanitarian principles.' On May 27, just two days into the new GHF-led distribution program, it was reported that one Palestinian had been killed and dozens more injured near an aid hub. Medicin San Frontieres reacted on May 30 to the incident, saying: 'The disastrous start of the food distribution coordinated by the newly created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation confirmed that the U.S.-Israel plan to instrumentalise aid is ineffective,' adding that it was a 'dangerous and reckless approach,' to aid distribution. The U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Thursday that since Israel resumed military operations in March, 640,000 Palestinians have been displaced. Over half of those displaced since May are based in the North of Gaza, on the other end of the strip from three of the GHF's four aid centers. 'Palestinians have been presented the grimmest of choices: die from starvation or risk being killed while trying to access the meagre food that is being made available through Israel's militarized humanitarian assistance mechanism,' said Türk. Since the start of the war, as of June 5, over 54,600 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry —the primary source for casualty data relied upon by humanitarian groups, journalists, and international bodies in the absence of any independent monitoring on the ground. A peer-reviewed study, undertaken by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine epidemiologists, published in January in The Lancet found that the official Gaza death toll reported by the enclave's Ministry of Health between October 7, 2023 and June 30, 2024 likely undercounted the number of fatalities during that period. The war was triggered after the Hamas terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Oday Basheer, who helps run a food kitchen in Deir al-Balah, told TIME that he has not collected any food from the GHF centers yet, describing the process as 'messy and dangerous.' His kitchen has partnered with World Central Kitchen (WCK), founded by chef José Andrés, to help provide food for displaced Palestinians. WCK halted operations in Gaza twice in the past year after Israeli strikes killed seven in April 2024 and three last November. Despite aid entering the strip, Basheer says that prices are still rising, with people paying up to $20 for a kilo of flour. 'There is not enough coming in to replace what we are buying, people are dying to get a bag of flour,' he says. Read more: $25 Butter and $40 Eggs: The Search for Food in Gaza He also described that people who successfully get into the aid hubs can take as much as they want, with aid not distributed equally among those waiting. 'From where I am, you have to walk 20 kilometers there and back, carrying food. Just the strongest and fastest can get there,' he explains. Jehad Miri, a journalist from Tel al-Hawa in Gaza City who has been displaced over a dozen times, says that despite having not eaten properly for weeks, he has not gone to the GHF aid sites. 'Going to those aid centers feels like walking into death,' he told TIME from Deir al-Balah. 'Just two days ago, a close friend of mine was killed. He used to go to the aid centers to help families who couldn't reach them.' Several of Miri's family members have chronic health conditions, and he has been supporting them however he can. 'I've been trying to take care of them getting food, water, and whatever they need. Every day feels like a mission finding water, finding a way to charge batteries, finding internet, finding safety,' he says. Wednesday's aid hub closure affected everyone, Miri says, not only those who go to collect aid. 'We get some food from traders who risked their lives to bring it from the aid hubs. Now, that's gone. We can't buy anything anymore, the prices are insane.' Basic food supplies are staggeringly high, with 500 grams of butter costing up to $25 and a dozen eggs priced at over $40, civilians in Gaza have told TIME. Friday marked the beginning of Eid Al Adha, an important festival in Islam that will be honored across the Gaza Strip, despite the continuing war. But Miri explains: 'In Gaza, Eid doesn't feel like Eid anymore.' Basheer agrees, saying: 'It was a custom to get new clothes, new food before Eid. Now you cannot find anything. There is no joy, there is no celebration for this Eid. Every day there is lots of killing, you don't know if you will be alive.' Contact us at letters@
Yahoo
2 hours ago
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Sanitation fee passes, begins July 1
The sanitation fee resolution, which caused many conversations and criticisms within Lebanon, was passed by the City Council in a 4-2 vote during Tuesday's meeting. The structure of the fee will be $20 for residential customers and $40 for business customers. The city's sanitation department does not pick up dumpsters used by businesses, only bins specifically used for the city service. Geri Ashley and Camille Burdine, Councilors for Ward 2 and 3 respectively, stuck to their votes against the fee for the second reading. Both raised concerns of how residents at or below the poverty line or seniors on fixed incomes may be impacted by the $20 per month fee. Questions regarding how the sanitation department is funded were asked as confusion rippled through the community. 'This was an unadvertised discussion in a work session. It was a 15-minute discussion,' Ashley said. 'I still don't have all my questions answered. I don't feel like I have the economic information.' 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She also said instead of a flat fee, a property tax increase would take into account the property values and Wards 1, 2 and 3 would not have to deal with a monthly fee which might be a burden. Ashley said she wants to see if the sanitation fee will disappear from the property taxes. Ward 1 Councilor Joey Carmack said he supported the fee because it's a flat fee that all residents pay, which doesn't fluctuate. 'I do not feel it's fair for the sanitation fee to be a property tax,' Carmack said. 'A property tax would be unfair, because for example, person one has a $1 million house, and [may] only have one can of trash. They would pay more taxes than person two [who has] a $350,000 home.' 'We dump the trash from the city at Walter Hill (in Murfreesboro), which has been in the news about closing soon,' Carmack added. 'When that does happen, we will be paying even more to dump trash.' Middle Point Landfill has been working with Rutherford County to increase fees for 'out-of-county' tipping fees, as well as downsizing the number of counties allowed to dump there. During a meeting earlier this year, it was proposed to double the fees for non-Rutherford County clients from $1.20 per ton to $2.50 per ton to generate more revenue for that county. The town meeting hall had more residents in attendance than usual, which was commented on by the Councilors, who expressed gratitude for the increased attendance. Burdine, Chris Crowell, Councilor for Ward 4 and Phil Morehead, Councilor for Ward 6, particularly welcomed the attendance and interest in city business. During the public comment period, nearly a dozen people spoke to the City Council. One resident, Stephen Lawson, said he and others should have the option to opt out of the fee, and that he would rather pay a private company $30 to support that business than give the city $20. He also asked if there were other landfills which could be used. 'I thought there was a landfill in Wilson County. Is that one full?' Lawson asked. 'That's owned by the Wilson County government, and it's just open to construction materials,' Mayor Bell responded. 'It's not open to us.' Alex Buhler, former Ward 1 Councilor who stepped-down in 2012, also spoke. 'They should have that option to opt out,' Buhler said. 'If a thousand people opt out, that's a thousand houses you don't have to go to.' Bell responded by saying that wouldn't save as much money as people think because the sanitation trucks will still be driving by those houses anyway. Some of the Councilors said they don't know if private companies would have the same quality of work that the city does, as officials believe sanitation is a public health matter which the Council 'takes seriously.' Another resident wondered if the sanitation fee would lead to the start of 'nickel and diming' the residents of the city. Glenn Denton, County Commissioner for District 20, which covers the downtown Lebanon region of the county, criticized the growth of the city, which he thinks sparked the need for growing services and the fees to pay for them. 'Enough is enough. We have overbuilt in our city beyond what our infrastructure can handle,' Denton said. 'When do we stop building to where we cannot service and when we cannot pay for the infrastructure around it?' Nearly an hour and a half was spent discussing the sanitation fee and budget for the next year. With the passing of the resolution, the sanitation fee goes into effect July 1.
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LPD arrests 15 after drug investigation
Lebanon Police have announced the arrest of 15 individuals after indictments on 85 counts of drug and weapon related offenses. The arrestss came as the department closed an investigation recently. The LPD's Special Operations Division conducted a targeted operation to arrest the individuals at the end of May. This follows an investigation by the Narcotics Unit into drug sales within the city. While serving the arrest warrants, LPD also arrested four other individuals on outstanding warrants. 'We're proud of the dedicated efforts of our detectives, investigators and officers who made this operation a success,' LPD said in a press release. 'We're also grateful to the Wilson County Sheriff's Office for their assistance.' The District Attorney General's office in Lebanon released the names of the individuals. Bradley Carey, Christopher Cason, Demetris Cason, Tabitha Cook, Brittany Fox, Damon Grimmett, Frederick Henderson, Monti Hill, David Jackson, Quantae Jackson, D'auvionne Jennings, Charles Miller, Laretta Patterson, Bettie Steward and Richard Worley were arrested on a total of 85 counts of drug and weapons charges. The names of the other four arrested on outstanding warrants have not been released.
