Father of six killed 'for piece of bread' during Gaza aid distribution
His mother, Nahla Wafi, sobbed uncontrollably over her son, who was among 31 people killed by Israeli fire while trying to reach a food distribution site the previous day, according to the Palestinian territory's civil defence agency.
"He went to get food for his daughters -- and came back dead," said Nahla Wafi, who lost two sons and a nephew on Sunday.
Hossam Wafi had travelled with his brother and nephew to a newly established distribution centre in the southern city of Rafah.
"They were just trying to buy (flour). But the drone came down on them," his mother said, as she tried to comfort four of her granddaughters in the courtyard of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis.
Israel has faced growing condemnation over the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, where the United Nations has warned the entire population faces the risk of famine.
-'Go there and get bombed'-
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that its field hospital in Rafah received 179 cases on Sunday, including 21 pronounced dead on arrival.
The ICRC said that all those wounded "said they had been trying to reach an aid distribution site", and that "the majority suffered gunshot or shrapnel wounds".
Israeli authorities and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US and Israeli-backed outfit that runs the distribution centres, denied any such incident took place.
The military instead said that troops fired "warning shots" at people who approached them one kilometre away from the Rafah distribution site before dawn.
A witness told AFP thousands of people gathered at the area, known locally as the Al-Alam junction, between 2:00 and 4:00 am (2300 GMT and 0100 GMT) in the hopes of reaching the distribution centre.
At Nasser Hospital, Hossam Wafi's young daughters called out for their father, kissing his body wrapped in a white shroud, before it was taken away.
Outside the hospital, dozens of men stood in silence before the body, praying. Some cried as the remains were taken away, one of them holding the father's face until he was gently pulled away.
His uncle, Ali Wafi, told AFP he felt angry his nephew was killed while trying to get aid.
"They go there and get bombed -- airstrikes, tanks, shelling -- all for a piece of bread," he said.
"He went for a bite of bread, not for anything else. What was he supposed to do? He had to feed his little kids. And the result? He's getting buried today," he added.
Militarised aid
The deaths in Rafah were one of two deadly incidents reported by Gaza's civil defence agency on Sunday around the GHF centres, which the UN says contravene basic humanitarian principles and appear designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
There have been several other reports of chaotic scenes and warning shots fired in connection with the distribution sites over the past week.
The UN's humanitarian agency (OCHA) published a video of one such distribution site in central Gaza's Netzarim corridor on Thursday.
A large crowd is seen gathered around four long corridors made from metal fences installed in the middle of an arid landscape, corralling men and women into files to receive flour.
The distribution site and its waiting area sit on a flattened piece of land surrounded by massive mounds of soil and sand.
It is manned by English-speaking security guards travelling in armoured vehicles.
Palestinians exiting the distribution area carry cardboard boxes sometimes bearing a "GHF" logo, as well as wooden pallets presumably to be repurposed as fuel or structures for shelter.
In the large crowd gathered outside the gated corridors, some men are seen shoving each other, and one woman complains that her food package was stolen.
Hossam Wafi's uncle Ali said he wished Gaza's people could safely get aid.
"People take the risk (to reach the distribution site), just so they can survive."
© 2025 AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
3 hours ago
- Euronews
NATO adapts drones to transport blood to injured frontline soldiers
Russia could "decide to attack us in three to five years," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says, and Europe needs to be prepared. In response, NATO countries are finalising plans to dramatically increase defence spending from 2% of GDP to 5%. Meanwhile, NATO allies are focusing on strengthening their defence through new capability targets, based on the evolving global security concerns and, in particular, the threat from Russia. NATO's Griffin Lightning military exercise is one of the most extensive tests of the alliance's capabilities and readiness for war. The training includes a wide range of hardware, including tanks, howitzers, attack helicopters, drones, live-fire drills and fully functional field hospitals. Field hospitals are crucial as the first line of defence, preventing death or major life-changing injuries. Overall, drones are the dominant weapon in Russia's war in Ukraine and are responsible for the majority of casualties and injuries. Armies are now preparing for the widespread integration of drone technology into life-saving situations on the battlefield. Drones will be used to transport blood directly to the injured soldier on the frontline, buying crucial time with blood transfusions until a soldier can receive more comprehensive care. In Lithuania and across the Baltic states, armies are using former Soviet missile depots as control centres for NATO allies and for storing medical supplies and field and dental hospitals. Medical staff react to drills and emergency life-saving treatments that are common to battlefield injuries. Field hospitals are there to stabilise patients, with IV access, intubations and CT scanners for head trauma and brain injuries. Hospital 519 is an American-led facility in the centre of Lithuania with hypothetical patients displaying injuries common to the battlefield, especially the current frontline in Ukraine. It's part of the US Swift Response military exercise within NATO, which tests the ability of US battalions and military medical personnel to respond immediately to a potential Russian invasion in the Baltic states or other frontline countries in Europe. "The injuries we're seeing in Ukraine are different to the war in Iraq or Afghanistan," dental officer Major Frederick Dawson told Euronews. In Ukraine, "soldiers are wearing body armour and helmets so a lot of the injuries are to the extremities and to the face which highlights the need for a dentist on the battlefield," he explained. "If a soldier has tooth injuries through trauma or disease, it might affect their ability to wear their helmet and then they can't fight." Crucially, the war in Ukraine is informing how NATO is preparing for battlefield injuries. "The US army medical leadership and dental corps leadership have been studying the trends in Ukraine very closely to try to see how we can modernise our army medical team to include the dental team to be better prepared for large scale combat operations," he said. Meanwhile, US NATO soldiers also say they now conceal the Red Cross medical symbol at military hospitals or medical centres. "We try not to have our vehicles or tents with the cross. We try to hide that from sight," Major Hong Duan, a pharmacist with the US military, told Euronews. "From what I've learned, yes, it's not respected," he said. Hospitals and other critical civilian infrastructure have protected status under international humanitarian law. However, according to several military experts, it is largely no longer respected in many current war zones. The European Commission plans to launch a vast operation to clean up PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), also known as "forever chemicals" in water through the creation of public-private partnerships. These were the conclusions of the European Water Resilience Strategy, adopted on Wednesday in Brussels. In 2022, out of 1,300 monitoring sites in Europe, 59% of rivers, 35% of lakes and 73% of coastal waters exceeded the environmental quality standard for perfluorooctanesulphonic acid (PFOS), a type of PFAS, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA). In Europe, only 37% of surface waters are in good or very good ecological health and 29% have achieved good chemical status, according to the agency. Environmental associations, which are campaigning for a ban on PFAS at the source, are denouncing this as a "missed opportunity". "We expected to see more ambition to reduce pollution at the source," said Angeliki Lyssimachou, head of science and policy at the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are dubbed "forever chemicals" because they don't easily break down in the environment and accumulate in humans and animals over time. Health costs are estimated at €52 to €84 billion a year and some of the chemicals have been classified as carcinogenic. These chemical compounds are non-stick, waterproof and resistant to high temperatures. They are also present in many everyday items such as non-stick frying pans, fire-fighting foams and medical devices. Jessika Roswall, the European Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resilience said she was in favour of banning PFAS in consumer products such as cosmetics and food packaging. However, she stressed that it would be difficult to ban all PFASs, as some do not yet have an effective alternative. "The problem is that we need PFASs for many different products. For example, medical products like inhalers (...) or many things for which there is no substitution. In terms of the ecological transition, semiconductors, digitisation or the defence industry," Roswall told Euronews. In a leaked document, the Commission's estimated range for the annual cost of PFAS decontamination in Europe was wide, at anywhere from €5 all the way to €100 billion. For the water sector alone, the cost could increase to up to €18 billion annually for drinking water treatment. For some pollutants, such as TFA (trifluoroacetic acid, a type of PFAS), the clean-up is not so simple. "According to the water companies, it's a very expensive process that involves extracting all the minerals from the water and adding them back. At the end of the day, you're going to lose a lot of water," says Angeliki Lyssimachou. "So you're going to consume a lot more energy. The Commission wants to apply the "polluter pays" principle and reserve public funding for sites where it has not been possible to identify who is responsible. The European Water Resilience Strategy aims to restore the water cycle and ensure access to clean, affordable water at a time when Europe is facing extreme weather events such as floods and droughts. 34% of the EU is affected by water shortages. "Water is life. Water resilience is essential for our citizens, our farmers, the environment and businesses. The Commission's Water Resilience Strategy sets out the path towards a sustainable, resilient, smart and competitive water economy. We must act now to protect this resource," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a statement. The European action plan also includes raising awareness for these issues through public debates, increasing European funding for infrastructure modernisation, supporting digitisation through the EU's Copernicus Earth observation programme, and supporting innovation.
France 24
10 hours ago
- France 24
Albania town where everything's coming up roses
"Here everything revolves around roses, from cooking with them to their medicinal virtues" -- everything is seen through rose-tinted glasses, joked biology teacher Ariana Nikolla. Since she was little, the 57-year-old has been delicately picking the petals of her favourite variety, "the Groom's Rose", named for its delicate scent. In Permet roses are a ritual -- the first gift to a would-be lover. And they have to be pink, symbolising love and fidelity. Every family cultivates dozens of rose varieties in their garden, including the highly perfumed Damask and Provence roses, making the town famous across the Balkans for its artisanal rose water. Yet it is almost impossible to buy -- it is just too valuable, say locals, who gift a few drops from time to time and jealously guard their reserves. 'Rose water is like love' "Rose water is like love, it must be carefully tended," said veteran maker Resmie Tuci. "The process of making high-quality rose water is difficult and meticulous. It requires very particular copper containers and you also have to use the right roses and select the ones with the most fragrant petals," said the 70-year-old. The traditional method, passed from one generation to the next, is listed in Albania's national inventory of intangible cultural heritage. First you stretch a cloth over a copper bowl laced with thread, itself placed inside a large, flat-bottomed basin filled with water. Then the hand-picked rose petals are carefully placed on the cloth and covered with a flat stone topped with hot ashes from a fire. The petals sweat underneath and yield up their precious rose water through condensation. "It's a process that takes hours," Tuci told AFP. "But every drop is precious," chimes in Nikolla, filling a small bottle with rose water, which she will put in a sunny spot for several weeks before it is ready. "It's as precious as gold," she added. - Sweet delights - Locals use it for its supposed benefits, from soothing irritated eyes to an anti-inflammatory cream to help calm itching. And, of course, in cooking. Eftali Qerimi, 63, swears by it. The almond rose water cakes she bakes in her workshop are unlike any other local "llokums". Made with only almond powder, sugar and rosewater, the rose-shaped fancies mark important events for families in the region. Considered lucky charms, they are served at birthdays, weddings and baby showers. With the women in her workshop, Qerimi produces up to 10 kilos of Turkish delights a day, which she sells at 50 euros a kilo. Occasionally she makes small ones shaped like baby feet -- a way, according to tradition, to wish newborns a long life. Between batches, the women make rose petal jam, its fragrance filling the workshop. "The rose is everything for us; it symbolises the heart, love and life's happiness," said Qerimi, who is hard at work with the tourism high season about to begin. "Tourists flock to the town and after the natural beauties" of the valley, with its famous gorges and natural park, "they also want to taste its culinary delights", she smiled.
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
As the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation names a new chief, suspicions swirl over who funds it
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) on Tuesday announced the appointment of a new director after its previous leader quit, just days before the NGO began operating as the only provider of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. American evangelical Christian leader Rev. Dr. Johnnie Moore was on Tuesday named the GHF's new chairperson after the resignation in late May of Jake Wood, who cited concerns that the operation did not adhere to 'humanitarian principles'. Moore has previously voiced support for US President Donald Trump 's idea that the US should take over the Palestinian enclave. 'The USA will take full responsibility for future of Gaza, giving everyone hope & a future,' he wrote on X, where he also criticised the UN food distribution program, which normally runs 408 centres in Gaza, for enabling Hamas to control supplies. Moore's appointment comes amid daily reports of deadly attacks on Palestinians by Israeli soldiers in and near GHF aid distribution centres since they opened last week. "Civilians are risking – and in several instances losing – their lives just trying to get food," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday. The GHF aid distribution model was "a recipe for disaster – which is exactly what is going on', he added. $100 million donation The UN and aid groups have refused to work with the GHF – backed by the US and Israel – because they say it is not a neutral operation. But little is known about how the newly formed NGO is run or who funds it. In October 2024, the GHF hired US consulting firm The Boston Consulting Group to design and run its business operations. The consultancy firm on Friday terminated its contract with GHF and placed one of the senior partners leading the project on leave pending an internal review, the Washington Post reported. Anonymous sources speaking to the Post said it would be difficult for the foundation to continue to function without the consultancy group 'actually making the wheels turn' on the ground. While the GHF has almost no digital footprint, a memo released in May to potential donors details key board members and the involvement of two US private security firms, UG Solutions and Safe Reach Solutions. The memo says the NGO has since February 2025 been registered in Switzerland, where investigators are now leading an enquiry into whether its operations are illegal. But a New York Times report, which claims the GHF is an Israeli brainchild conceived during the first few weeks of the war, found a group named the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was also registered in Delaware. The organisation does not reveal where its funding comes from, except for saying in a statement released in May that it had received a donation of over $100 million from an unnamed Western country. Shell companies In Israel, rumours swirled that the anonymous benefactor was actually the Israeli state, covertly using taxpayer money to fund the project. 'Is the State of Israel behind two shell companies established in Switzerland and the United States, GHF and SRS, to organise and finance humanitarian aid in Gaza?' Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid asked in parliament on May 26. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's spokesperson denied the accusation. But former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israeli media outlet Haaretz he was convinced that Israel's defence ministry and its intelligence arm, Mossad, were funding the NGO. 'As someone who knows these systems well, it's clear to me when I see such a construction,' he said. 'You have a foundation that appeared out of nowhere, and a company operating without a background or experience." "We're talking about costs in the hundreds of millions to maintain hundreds of armed Americans with combat experience and to provide food,' he added. More recently, the Israeli military seems to have claimed some ownership of the GHF. In a video released on June 1, IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin says soldiers were responsible for opening the centres. 'Fear and deep suspicion' The GHF says that it has given out more than seven million meals from three 'secure' distribution sites since it started operations in the enclave a week ago. But its centres were closed on Wednesday as the group pressed the Israeli military to improve security. This left Gaza's population of 1.2 million, which the UN says now faces the risk of famine, with no access to essential food or medical supplies. 'Basically, the Israeli-backed aid distribution plan, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has taken a day off,' FRANCE 24 correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky said while reporting from Jerusalem. Meanwhile, an Israeli military spokesperson on Wednesday warned civilians in Gaza against moving on roads leading to GHF sites, deeming them "combat zones". Since opening its centres in Gaza there have been near-daily reports of Israeli attacks killing dozens of Palestinians in proximity to the distribution sites and widespread chaos inside. Palestinians who collected food GHF boxes on Tuesday described scenes of pandemonium, with no one overseeing the handover of supplies or checking IDs as crowds jostled for aid. Conditions at the centres and the difficulty for Palestinians to access them has raised 'fear and deep suspicion' among critics that they are part of a wider Israeli plan to force Palestinian displacement, Arwa Damon, founder of non-profit aid organisation INARA, told FRANCE 24. 'It is exactly how you do not organise aid distribution,' Damon said. 'You do not force people to walk through danger zones, where they are at risk of getting shot, and only provide them with four locations where they can pick up this much-needed assistance. You don't force the population to walk six or seven hours to pick up a food parcel.'
