Dozens of Palestinians killed near Gaza aid distribution point, health officials say, in third day of shooting
Palestinians on their way to receive aid from a distribution site in southern Gaza have come under fire for a third consecutive day, with nearly 30 people killed and dozens wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and Nasser hospital.
The ministry said Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians as they made their way to the distribution site in Tel al-Sultan in Rafah early Tuesday.
The Israeli military said its forces opened fire multiple times after identifying 'several suspects moving toward them, deviating from the designated access routes.'
'The troops carried out warning fire, and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced toward the troops,' the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement, which also said they are looking into reports of casualties.
At least 27 people were killed and dozens injured, according to the Palestinian health ministry and the director of Nasser hospital in Gaza.
Footage obtained by CNN showed people arriving at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, many on stretchers.
Marwan al-Hams, the head of field hospitals in Gaza, said Nasser has been overwhelmed by the number of casualties coming in.
'Only if someone dies inside the intensive care units, only then can we make availability for the next patient,' he told CNN. Al-Hams said the injuries he was seeing were primarily the result of gunfire and concentrated in patients' upper bodies.
The hospital called for urgent blood donations.
Nawal Al-Masri, whose young son was injured as he approached the area to get aid, said the site is a 'trap.'
'Is this what they call aid? This aid is to kill people,' Al-Masri told CNN. 'What are we supposed to do when a child like this goes and tried to get a bag of flour of two kilos? Is this right by any definition?'
The United Nations' human rights chief, Volker Turk, said in a statement that 'deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza, are unconscionable… There must be a prompt and impartial investigation into each of these attacks, and those responsible held to account.'
Turk added that Palestinians have been given '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 militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism.'
The gunfire on Tuesday occurred west of Rafah in the area surrounding the Al-Alam roundabout, according to paramedics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, near the same location as shooting incidents the last two days.
The area is part of an Israeli military operation across Khan Younis, according to a diplomat who monitors developments in Gaza, who said Israeli forces fired toward a large group of Palestinians they perceived as 'an imminent threat' as the Palestinians tried to reach the aid distribution site.
Early Tuesday morning, a Facebook page which the controversial US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has used to publicise information about the opening of distribution sites said one location would be open in southern Gaza and warned residents to adhere to a designated corridor starting at 5am.
'The IDF will be in the area to secure the safe passage,' the statement said.
But approximately one hour later, the page said the site will be closed.
The site ultimately opened and distributed 21 truckloads of food boxes, according to GHF. The aid was distributed 'safely and without incident at our site today,' the organization said, adding that the area beyond its security perimeter is 'well beyond our secure distribution site and control.'
Israel's deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, defended the distribution effort and said Israel would continue to support it.
'This direct aid, bypassing Hamas, is changing the situation on the ground and weakening Hamas's grip on the population,' Haskel said at a news conference.
Tuesday's incident marks the third day in a row that people have been killed on their way to the GHF distribution point west of Rafah while attempting to secure food as famine conditions worsen in Gaza following an 11-week blockade by Israel.
Three Palestinians were shot dead and dozens wounded as they were on their way to access aid from the site on Monday morning, Palestinian and hospital authorities said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Israeli forces fired warning shots approximately 1km from the aid distribution site and that it was looking into the details of the incident.
On Sunday, dozens of Palestinians were shot dead by the Israeli military in the same area, according to Palestinian officials and eyewitnesses. Israel's military denied that its troops fired 'within or near' the aid distribution site.
Palestinian officials said 31 people had been killed and scores wounded in Sunday's incident. An Israeli military source acknowledged that Israeli forces fired toward individuals about 1km away before the aid site opened.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
My grandmother fled the holocaust. Now it's time for Jews to abandon Israel
Since the October 7 butchery of Jews by Gaza's reigning death cult, the anti-Zionist left and the antisemitic right have indulged in a masterclass of double standards and selective outrage. Social media algorithms, designed to inflame, flood our feeds with Gazan disaster porn. Instagram influencers are suddenly brave opponents of the Zionist colonial-settler state. Many of them know little of the Oslo Accords, of Yitzhak Rabin, of Ehud Olmert 's peace plan. They couldn't tell you who invaded and occupied the West Bank as soon as Israel was created (hint: it wasn't Israel, and it rhymes with 'Blordan') or who invaded and occupied Gaza (hint: it wasn't Israel, and it rhymes with 'Blegypt'). The online warriors elide the Arab states' sterling effort at wiping out Israel in 1967 and the attempted do-over in 1973. They denounce Israel's failure to create a Palestinian state while ignoring the repeated reluctance of Palestinians to condone a two-state solution during periods when a majority of Israelis believed it was not merely desirable but inevitable. So Jewish Australians have found it head-spinning, since October 7, to be collectively blamed for the plight of Palestinians by anti-Zionists who don't seem to give two stuffs about actual, real-life Palestinian people – activists who never mention the sinister coercions of Qatar, Iran or Hezbollah in Lebanon; who've never campaigned for the right of Palestinian refugees to escape Hamas' brutality by seeking better lives in neighbouring Arab states; who remain silent about Muslims being crushed in Syria, Chechnya, Yemen and Sudan; who chant catchy slogans whose subtexts they don't understand about rivers and seas, and globalised intifadas; who pretend that Iranian theocracy and jihadist ideology aren't a problem in Palestine or the wider Muslim world. Many pro-Palestinian Jews who detest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are rendered mute by a tsunami of foggy-headed anti-Zionist righteousness so selective that it smells like an anti-Jewish double standard. Many Jews also remain wistful about a homeland for the most persecuted group in history. There's still an allure to the Israel that my grandmother dreamt of when she fled the Holocaust; the Israel envisioned by Zionism's early pacifist-socialist, hippy-dippy kibbutzniks, of which today's anti-Zionists are unaware. But how far does the Actual Existing Israel have to stray from its founding principles and from the basic moral tenets of Jewishness – and for how long – before we stop making excuses for it? Loading Palestinians in the occupied West Bank endure lives of systematic dehumanisation under military law. Their Jewish neighbours, most of them in newly illegally built towns, enjoy the full rights of citizenship, sometimes with violent impunity. The settlements are an elaborate, militarised thicket of ethnic discrimination. Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza have been crushed to within an inch of their lives, many of them too young to bear any responsibility for the jihadists holding them hostage. The annihilation of Gaza and the open rhetoric from senior Israeli cabinet ministers of ethnically cleansing the territory are not self-defence. Israel is no longer in an emergency, where all bets are off. It is now choosing a strategy. It is now proactively erasing the future of millions of people. If you suspect that a fair bit of the pro-Gaza hoo-ha is motivated by bias against Israel (and some of it is), read the work of Israel's own progressive independent media: Haaretz, +972 Magazine, and B'Tselem, and the Israeli historian Lee Mordechai's website Witnessing the Gaza War. Listen to my recent interview with the world-renowned Israeli genocide expert Professor Amos Goldberg, who wrote 'There's No Auschwitz in Gaza. But It's Still Genocide.'
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
My grandmother fled the holocaust. Now it's time for Jews to abandon Israel
Since the October 7 butchery of Jews by Gaza's reigning death cult, the anti-Zionist left and the antisemitic right have indulged in a masterclass of double standards and selective outrage. Social media algorithms, designed to inflame, flood our feeds with Gazan disaster porn. Instagram influencers are suddenly brave opponents of the Zionist colonial-settler state. Many of them know little of the Oslo Accords, of Yitzhak Rabin, of Ehud Olmert 's peace plan. They couldn't tell you who invaded and occupied the West Bank as soon as Israel was created (hint: it wasn't Israel, and it rhymes with 'Blordan') or who invaded and occupied Gaza (hint: it wasn't Israel, and it rhymes with 'Blegypt'). The online warriors elide the Arab states' sterling effort at wiping out Israel in 1967 and the attempted do-over in 1973. They denounce Israel's failure to create a Palestinian state while ignoring the repeated reluctance of Palestinians to condone a two-state solution during periods when a majority of Israelis believed it was not merely desirable but inevitable. So Jewish Australians have found it head-spinning, since October 7, to be collectively blamed for the plight of Palestinians by anti-Zionists who don't seem to give two stuffs about actual, real-life Palestinian people – activists who never mention the sinister coercions of Qatar, Iran or Hezbollah in Lebanon; who've never campaigned for the right of Palestinian refugees to escape Hamas' brutality by seeking better lives in neighbouring Arab states; who remain silent about Muslims being crushed in Syria, Chechnya, Yemen and Sudan; who chant catchy slogans whose subtexts they don't understand about rivers and seas, and globalised intifadas; who pretend that Iranian theocracy and jihadist ideology aren't a problem in Palestine or the wider Muslim world. Many pro-Palestinian Jews who detest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are rendered mute by a tsunami of foggy-headed anti-Zionist righteousness so selective that it smells like an anti-Jewish double standard. Many Jews also remain wistful about a homeland for the most persecuted group in history. There's still an allure to the Israel that my grandmother dreamt of when she fled the Holocaust; the Israel envisioned by Zionism's early pacifist-socialist, hippy-dippy kibbutzniks, of which today's anti-Zionists are unaware. But how far does the Actual Existing Israel have to stray from its founding principles and from the basic moral tenets of Jewishness – and for how long – before we stop making excuses for it? Loading Palestinians in the occupied West Bank endure lives of systematic dehumanisation under military law. Their Jewish neighbours, most of them in newly illegally built towns, enjoy the full rights of citizenship, sometimes with violent impunity. The settlements are an elaborate, militarised thicket of ethnic discrimination. Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza have been crushed to within an inch of their lives, many of them too young to bear any responsibility for the jihadists holding them hostage. The annihilation of Gaza and the open rhetoric from senior Israeli cabinet ministers of ethnically cleansing the territory are not self-defence. Israel is no longer in an emergency, where all bets are off. It is now choosing a strategy. It is now proactively erasing the future of millions of people. If you suspect that a fair bit of the pro-Gaza hoo-ha is motivated by bias against Israel (and some of it is), read the work of Israel's own progressive independent media: Haaretz, +972 Magazine, and B'Tselem, and the Israeli historian Lee Mordechai's website Witnessing the Gaza War. Listen to my recent interview with the world-renowned Israeli genocide expert Professor Amos Goldberg, who wrote 'There's No Auschwitz in Gaza. But It's Still Genocide.'
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning
Accused death cap killer Erin Patterson has denied that she deliberately poisoned a beef Wellington served to her in-laws as she gives evidence in her fourth day on the stand. Ms Patterson, 50, is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after she allegedly hosted a fatal lunch for her estranged husband's family in July 2023. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has always maintained her innocence. She was questioned for three days by her barrister, Colin Mandy SC, before prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC started her cross-examination on June 5. The prosecutor asked Ms Patterson if she had told Facebook friends that she was an atheist. Ms Patterson said she had not. Dr Rogers turned her line of questioning towards emoji selection in a message sent by Ms Patterson. The message was sent to some of Ms Patterson's Facebook friends after prayer was suggested by Don Patterson in response to her marital and family problems. The prosecutor and Ms Patterson went back and forth over the meaning of an emoji that had a straight line for a mouth. Dr Rogers suggested that the emoji represented an 'eyeroll' that was meant to mock the use of Christian prayer in Patterson family disputes. "I wasn't mocking, I was frustrated," Ms Patterson said. The court was shown images, which were described as screenshots with information about brain and ovarian cancer. Ms Patterson said she could not be sure if she had taken the photos, but generally agreed that she had made the internet searches. "I suggest that you accessed these images of information about cancer in May 2023," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I did," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been "quite worried" about her health in late 2021 and early 2022, but not in 2023. Dr Rogers suggested that Ms Patterson had taken the screenshots to bolster her claims that she had cancer. "I suggest this information from the internet would allow you to tell a more convincing lie about having cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I mean, theoretically that's true, but it's not what I did," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers and Ms Patterson went back and forth about false cancer claims allegedly made by the accused. "I suggest that you said at the lunch that you had tests and they found ovarian cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I put it that precisely...I don't remember saying I had a diagnosis," Ms Patterson said. "You dispute that you said they found ovarian cancer?" Dr Rogers said. "Yeah, I do, I do," Ms Patterson said. The 50-year-old said that she didn't say anything "that specific". Dr Rogers asked about a dehydrator found at Koonwarra Landfill and Transfer Station that had Ms Patterson's fingerprints on it. A manual and an invoice for the dehydrator, bought on April 28, 2023, further suggested that the appliance belonged to Ms Patterson, Dr Rogers said. Dr Rogers suggested to Ms Patterson that she lied to police about buying, using and disposing of the dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "You lied about dehydrating food and mushrooms because you knew that if you told police the truth, then that would implicate you in the poisoned lunch. Agree or disagree?" Dr Rogers said. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers also asked if Ms Patterson had intentionally dehydrated poisonous mushrooms at her home. "You knew that they were death cap mushrooms that you'd been dehydrating, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't know that," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers continued her rapid questioning. "You were very keen to dispose of any evidence that might connect you with the possession of death cap mushrooms, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't," Ms Patterson said. The prosecutor also asked Ms Patterson if she had attempted to dehydrate other foods in the appliance that was found at Koonwarra Landfill. She said that she had also experimented with apples, bananas and other fruit. "And did you take photos of them?" Dr Rogers said. "I don't remember, I might've, I don't remember," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she picked mushrooms from a number of local sites after she bought the dehydrator on April 28, 2023. "On or after 28 April, 2023, and before the lunch, did you pick wild mushrooms?" Dr Rogers said. "I did," Ms Patterson said. She said she picked mushrooms in Korumburra Botanic Gardens, a nearby rail trail and at her Leongatha home. Dr Rogers turned the line of questioning to a conversation about foraged or wild mushrooms that Ms Patterson had with a doctor at Monash Hospital. The doctor previously told the court that Ms Patterson had denied using foraged or wild mushrooms in the fatal lunch, Dr Rogers said. Ms Patterson confirmed that the doctor "did say that" but that she hadn't believed the statement "was a lie at the time". Dr Rogers asked Ms Patterson if she had intended to serve the same meal to her estranged husband if he had attended the lunch. "You intended to serve one of those beef Wellingtons to Simon Patterson, had he turned up at the lunch?" Dr Rogers said. "If he'd come, I would have given him a beef Wellington too. But not one with death cap mushrooms intentionally," Ms Patterson said. The trial is continuing. Accused death cap killer Erin Patterson has denied that she deliberately poisoned a beef Wellington served to her in-laws as she gives evidence in her fourth day on the stand. Ms Patterson, 50, is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after she allegedly hosted a fatal lunch for her estranged husband's family in July 2023. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has always maintained her innocence. She was questioned for three days by her barrister, Colin Mandy SC, before prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC started her cross-examination on June 5. The prosecutor asked Ms Patterson if she had told Facebook friends that she was an atheist. Ms Patterson said she had not. Dr Rogers turned her line of questioning towards emoji selection in a message sent by Ms Patterson. The message was sent to some of Ms Patterson's Facebook friends after prayer was suggested by Don Patterson in response to her marital and family problems. The prosecutor and Ms Patterson went back and forth over the meaning of an emoji that had a straight line for a mouth. Dr Rogers suggested that the emoji represented an 'eyeroll' that was meant to mock the use of Christian prayer in Patterson family disputes. "I wasn't mocking, I was frustrated," Ms Patterson said. The court was shown images, which were described as screenshots with information about brain and ovarian cancer. Ms Patterson said she could not be sure if she had taken the photos, but generally agreed that she had made the internet searches. "I suggest that you accessed these images of information about cancer in May 2023," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I did," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been "quite worried" about her health in late 2021 and early 2022, but not in 2023. Dr Rogers suggested that Ms Patterson had taken the screenshots to bolster her claims that she had cancer. "I suggest this information from the internet would allow you to tell a more convincing lie about having cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I mean, theoretically that's true, but it's not what I did," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers and Ms Patterson went back and forth about false cancer claims allegedly made by the accused. "I suggest that you said at the lunch that you had tests and they found ovarian cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I put it that precisely...I don't remember saying I had a diagnosis," Ms Patterson said. "You dispute that you said they found ovarian cancer?" Dr Rogers said. "Yeah, I do, I do," Ms Patterson said. The 50-year-old said that she didn't say anything "that specific". Dr Rogers asked about a dehydrator found at Koonwarra Landfill and Transfer Station that had Ms Patterson's fingerprints on it. A manual and an invoice for the dehydrator, bought on April 28, 2023, further suggested that the appliance belonged to Ms Patterson, Dr Rogers said. Dr Rogers suggested to Ms Patterson that she lied to police about buying, using and disposing of the dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "You lied about dehydrating food and mushrooms because you knew that if you told police the truth, then that would implicate you in the poisoned lunch. Agree or disagree?" Dr Rogers said. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers also asked if Ms Patterson had intentionally dehydrated poisonous mushrooms at her home. "You knew that they were death cap mushrooms that you'd been dehydrating, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't know that," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers continued her rapid questioning. "You were very keen to dispose of any evidence that might connect you with the possession of death cap mushrooms, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't," Ms Patterson said. The prosecutor also asked Ms Patterson if she had attempted to dehydrate other foods in the appliance that was found at Koonwarra Landfill. She said that she had also experimented with apples, bananas and other fruit. "And did you take photos of them?" Dr Rogers said. "I don't remember, I might've, I don't remember," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she picked mushrooms from a number of local sites after she bought the dehydrator on April 28, 2023. "On or after 28 April, 2023, and before the lunch, did you pick wild mushrooms?" Dr Rogers said. "I did," Ms Patterson said. She said she picked mushrooms in Korumburra Botanic Gardens, a nearby rail trail and at her Leongatha home. Dr Rogers turned the line of questioning to a conversation about foraged or wild mushrooms that Ms Patterson had with a doctor at Monash Hospital. The doctor previously told the court that Ms Patterson had denied using foraged or wild mushrooms in the fatal lunch, Dr Rogers said. Ms Patterson confirmed that the doctor "did say that" but that she hadn't believed the statement "was a lie at the time". Dr Rogers asked Ms Patterson if she had intended to serve the same meal to her estranged husband if he had attended the lunch. "You intended to serve one of those beef Wellingtons to Simon Patterson, had he turned up at the lunch?" Dr Rogers said. "If he'd come, I would have given him a beef Wellington too. But not one with death cap mushrooms intentionally," Ms Patterson said. The trial is continuing. Accused death cap killer Erin Patterson has denied that she deliberately poisoned a beef Wellington served to her in-laws as she gives evidence in her fourth day on the stand. Ms Patterson, 50, is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after she allegedly hosted a fatal lunch for her estranged husband's family in July 2023. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has always maintained her innocence. She was questioned for three days by her barrister, Colin Mandy SC, before prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC started her cross-examination on June 5. The prosecutor asked Ms Patterson if she had told Facebook friends that she was an atheist. Ms Patterson said she had not. Dr Rogers turned her line of questioning towards emoji selection in a message sent by Ms Patterson. The message was sent to some of Ms Patterson's Facebook friends after prayer was suggested by Don Patterson in response to her marital and family problems. The prosecutor and Ms Patterson went back and forth over the meaning of an emoji that had a straight line for a mouth. Dr Rogers suggested that the emoji represented an 'eyeroll' that was meant to mock the use of Christian prayer in Patterson family disputes. "I wasn't mocking, I was frustrated," Ms Patterson said. The court was shown images, which were described as screenshots with information about brain and ovarian cancer. Ms Patterson said she could not be sure if she had taken the photos, but generally agreed that she had made the internet searches. "I suggest that you accessed these images of information about cancer in May 2023," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I did," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been "quite worried" about her health in late 2021 and early 2022, but not in 2023. Dr Rogers suggested that Ms Patterson had taken the screenshots to bolster her claims that she had cancer. "I suggest this information from the internet would allow you to tell a more convincing lie about having cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I mean, theoretically that's true, but it's not what I did," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers and Ms Patterson went back and forth about false cancer claims allegedly made by the accused. "I suggest that you said at the lunch that you had tests and they found ovarian cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I put it that precisely...I don't remember saying I had a diagnosis," Ms Patterson said. "You dispute that you said they found ovarian cancer?" Dr Rogers said. "Yeah, I do, I do," Ms Patterson said. The 50-year-old said that she didn't say anything "that specific". Dr Rogers asked about a dehydrator found at Koonwarra Landfill and Transfer Station that had Ms Patterson's fingerprints on it. A manual and an invoice for the dehydrator, bought on April 28, 2023, further suggested that the appliance belonged to Ms Patterson, Dr Rogers said. Dr Rogers suggested to Ms Patterson that she lied to police about buying, using and disposing of the dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "You lied about dehydrating food and mushrooms because you knew that if you told police the truth, then that would implicate you in the poisoned lunch. Agree or disagree?" Dr Rogers said. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers also asked if Ms Patterson had intentionally dehydrated poisonous mushrooms at her home. "You knew that they were death cap mushrooms that you'd been dehydrating, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't know that," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers continued her rapid questioning. "You were very keen to dispose of any evidence that might connect you with the possession of death cap mushrooms, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't," Ms Patterson said. The prosecutor also asked Ms Patterson if she had attempted to dehydrate other foods in the appliance that was found at Koonwarra Landfill. She said that she had also experimented with apples, bananas and other fruit. "And did you take photos of them?" Dr Rogers said. "I don't remember, I might've, I don't remember," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she picked mushrooms from a number of local sites after she bought the dehydrator on April 28, 2023. "On or after 28 April, 2023, and before the lunch, did you pick wild mushrooms?" Dr Rogers said. "I did," Ms Patterson said. She said she picked mushrooms in Korumburra Botanic Gardens, a nearby rail trail and at her Leongatha home. Dr Rogers turned the line of questioning to a conversation about foraged or wild mushrooms that Ms Patterson had with a doctor at Monash Hospital. The doctor previously told the court that Ms Patterson had denied using foraged or wild mushrooms in the fatal lunch, Dr Rogers said. Ms Patterson confirmed that the doctor "did say that" but that she hadn't believed the statement "was a lie at the time". Dr Rogers asked Ms Patterson if she had intended to serve the same meal to her estranged husband if he had attended the lunch. "You intended to serve one of those beef Wellingtons to Simon Patterson, had he turned up at the lunch?" Dr Rogers said. "If he'd come, I would have given him a beef Wellington too. But not one with death cap mushrooms intentionally," Ms Patterson said. The trial is continuing. Accused death cap killer Erin Patterson has denied that she deliberately poisoned a beef Wellington served to her in-laws as she gives evidence in her fourth day on the stand. Ms Patterson, 50, is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after she allegedly hosted a fatal lunch for her estranged husband's family in July 2023. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has always maintained her innocence. She was questioned for three days by her barrister, Colin Mandy SC, before prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC started her cross-examination on June 5. The prosecutor asked Ms Patterson if she had told Facebook friends that she was an atheist. Ms Patterson said she had not. Dr Rogers turned her line of questioning towards emoji selection in a message sent by Ms Patterson. The message was sent to some of Ms Patterson's Facebook friends after prayer was suggested by Don Patterson in response to her marital and family problems. The prosecutor and Ms Patterson went back and forth over the meaning of an emoji that had a straight line for a mouth. Dr Rogers suggested that the emoji represented an 'eyeroll' that was meant to mock the use of Christian prayer in Patterson family disputes. "I wasn't mocking, I was frustrated," Ms Patterson said. The court was shown images, which were described as screenshots with information about brain and ovarian cancer. Ms Patterson said she could not be sure if she had taken the photos, but generally agreed that she had made the internet searches. "I suggest that you accessed these images of information about cancer in May 2023," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I did," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been "quite worried" about her health in late 2021 and early 2022, but not in 2023. Dr Rogers suggested that Ms Patterson had taken the screenshots to bolster her claims that she had cancer. "I suggest this information from the internet would allow you to tell a more convincing lie about having cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I mean, theoretically that's true, but it's not what I did," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers and Ms Patterson went back and forth about false cancer claims allegedly made by the accused. "I suggest that you said at the lunch that you had tests and they found ovarian cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I put it that precisely...I don't remember saying I had a diagnosis," Ms Patterson said. "You dispute that you said they found ovarian cancer?" Dr Rogers said. "Yeah, I do, I do," Ms Patterson said. The 50-year-old said that she didn't say anything "that specific". Dr Rogers asked about a dehydrator found at Koonwarra Landfill and Transfer Station that had Ms Patterson's fingerprints on it. A manual and an invoice for the dehydrator, bought on April 28, 2023, further suggested that the appliance belonged to Ms Patterson, Dr Rogers said. Dr Rogers suggested to Ms Patterson that she lied to police about buying, using and disposing of the dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "You lied about dehydrating food and mushrooms because you knew that if you told police the truth, then that would implicate you in the poisoned lunch. Agree or disagree?" Dr Rogers said. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers also asked if Ms Patterson had intentionally dehydrated poisonous mushrooms at her home. "You knew that they were death cap mushrooms that you'd been dehydrating, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't know that," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers continued her rapid questioning. "You were very keen to dispose of any evidence that might connect you with the possession of death cap mushrooms, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't," Ms Patterson said. The prosecutor also asked Ms Patterson if she had attempted to dehydrate other foods in the appliance that was found at Koonwarra Landfill. She said that she had also experimented with apples, bananas and other fruit. "And did you take photos of them?" Dr Rogers said. "I don't remember, I might've, I don't remember," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she picked mushrooms from a number of local sites after she bought the dehydrator on April 28, 2023. "On or after 28 April, 2023, and before the lunch, did you pick wild mushrooms?" Dr Rogers said. "I did," Ms Patterson said. She said she picked mushrooms in Korumburra Botanic Gardens, a nearby rail trail and at her Leongatha home. Dr Rogers turned the line of questioning to a conversation about foraged or wild mushrooms that Ms Patterson had with a doctor at Monash Hospital. The doctor previously told the court that Ms Patterson had denied using foraged or wild mushrooms in the fatal lunch, Dr Rogers said. Ms Patterson confirmed that the doctor "did say that" but that she hadn't believed the statement "was a lie at the time". Dr Rogers asked Ms Patterson if she had intended to serve the same meal to her estranged husband if he had attended the lunch. "You intended to serve one of those beef Wellingtons to Simon Patterson, had he turned up at the lunch?" Dr Rogers said. "If he'd come, I would have given him a beef Wellington too. But not one with death cap mushrooms intentionally," Ms Patterson said. The trial is continuing.
