At least 24 people killed as Israeli troops open fire near aid distribution point in Gaza
THE ISRAELI MILITARY has killed at least 24 people who had gathered to collect food from an Israeli and US-backed aid agency in Gaza, according to the Palestinian territory's health ministry.
It is the latest in a series of fatal incidents at aid distribution centres run by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private organisation that the UN and NGOs in Gaza have refused to deal with.
The director general of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said that 24 people have been killed and 37 wounded 'as a result of Israeli forces opening fire on crowds of civilians' waiting for aid at a roundabout near Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Most of those who arrived at the hospital had suffered gunshot wounds, the director said.
The Israeli army has said its troops fired on 'suspects' who moved towards them.
Last Tuesday, one person
was killed and another 48 were injured
, mostly by Israeli gunfire, at another aid distribution hub run by the GHF.
On Thursday, four people were killed when a crowd of desperate people
stormed a UN World Food Programme warehouse.
Over the weekend,
31 people were killed by Israeli fire
while waiting for food from the GHF near Rafah, according to the civil defence agency.
In the Gaza Strip, aid is only trickling in after Israel partially lifted a more than two-month total blockade, and the United Nations has reported looting of its trucks and warehouses.
The Israeli military (IDF) has said this morning that its troops 'carried out warning fire' after that 'identified several suspects moving toward them, deviating from the designated routes'.
'After the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near individual suspects who advanced toward the troops,' the military said on X, adding that reports of casualties 'are being looked into'.
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'IDF troops are not preventing the arrival of Gazan civilians to the humanitarian aid distribution sites. The warning shots were fired approximately half a kilometre 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.'
Rania al-Astal, 30, said she had gone with her husband to try to get food.
'The shooting began intermittently around 5 am. Every time people approached Al-Alam roundabout, they were fired upon,' she told the AFP news agency.
'But people didn't care and rushed forward all at once – that's when the army began firing heavily.'
Mohammed al-Shaer, 44, who was also at the scene, said the crowd had just set off towards the aid centre when 'suddenly, the Israeli army fired shots into the air, then began shooting directly at the people'.
'A helicopter and quadcopters (drones) started firing at the crowd to prevent them from approaching the tank barrier. There were injuries and deaths,' he told AFP.
'I didn't reach the centre, and we didn't get any food.'
The GHF said operations at its site went ahead safely this morning, but added it was aware the military 'is investigating whether a number of civilians were injured after moving beyond the designated safe corridor and into a closed military zone'.
'This was an area well beyond our secure distribution site and operations area,' it added, advising 'all civilians to remain in the safe corridor when travelling to our distribution sites'.
Yesterday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation into the killings at the weekend.
'I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday. It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food,' Guterres said in a statement.
'I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.'
With reporting from AFP
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