Gaza civil defence says Israeli fire kills 32 near two aid centres
Phil Hazlewood
, AFP
An elderly woman holds out an empty pot at a food distribution point in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on 19 July, 2025.
Photo:
AFP / EYAD BABA
Gaza's civil defence agency says that Israeli gunfire killed 32 people and wounded more than 100 near two aid centres, in the latest deaths of Palestinians seeking food.
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, have accused militant 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 southern Gaza, attributing the fatalities 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.
"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.
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 away from the aid distribution site at nighttime when it's not active," it said in a statement.
GHF said reports of deaths near its sites were "false".
"We have repeatedly warned aid-seekers not to travel to our sites overnight and early morning hours," it wrote on X.
Elsewhere, the civil defence agency reported that an Israeli strike on a house near Nuseirat, in central Gaza, killed 12 people.
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, sparked by militant group Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on 7 October, 2023, 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 they were seeing the physical and mental health effects of 21 months of war, including more acute malnutrition.
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 UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, on Saturday said it had enough food for all of Gaza for more than three months but it was stockpiled in warehouses and blocked from being delivered.
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.
After 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 acknowledged for the first time that 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 UN 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.
Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel led to the deaths of 1219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's retaliatory military action has killed 58,765 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
-
AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Ōmokoroa pub confrontation ends with couple followed home, and a ‘trail of blood'
By Hannah Bartlett of File photo. Photo: SunLive Terse words outside a pub on a Saturday afternoon ended with a "trail of blood" at a Bay of Plenty property, after three men followed a couple home and beat them up. Two men have been sentenced in the Tauranga District Court over the incident. The assault began when victim Beau-Derek Toi Toi thought one of the defendants was staring at him, as Toi Toi drove past The Village Green pub on his way to the Ōmokoroa shops last July. He yelled: "What's your f***ing problem?" before getting out of his car and confronting Fletcher Shane Laurence, who was at the pub having a drink with a woman. Toi Toi believed Laurence and the woman were "staring at him". The two men exchanged words, with Laurence suggesting they "meet at the top of the hill in 20 minutes". But Toi Toi left. According to the Crown summary of facts he "did not want the verbal exchange to escalate into a fight", so he and his partner went to the laundromat and, about 20 minutes later, headed home. However, Laurence enlisted the help of two friends, and the trio followed Toi Toi and his partner Pania Pettifer home, pulling into their driveway behind them. There they began an "ongoing" attack on the couple, for which two of the three were today sentenced in the Tauranga District Court. According to the summary of facts, Samuel Sparham was wearing "black gloves with padded knuckles" as he got out of the car, driven by a man who can not be named for legal reasons, and accused Toi Toi of threatening his family. The driver and Sparham punched Toi Toi about 20 times, hitting his face and body as he was pushed up against the car. Toi Toi managed to punch Sparham once, then made his way around to the side of the house. Pettifer approached Laurence and asked him: "Are you going to f***ing hit me?" He pushed her to the ground and kept walking around the house to find Toi Toi, who was now being held by his arms by the other two men. Pettifer had followed, and Laurence again pushed her to the ground before kicking Toi Toi in the chest. As Pettifer got up and ran towards Toi Toi, Sparham pushed her over, and the three men returned to their Subaru. After getting free, Toi Toi wedged himself in a gap between the top and bottom part of the house. Laurence said to Toi Toi: "There's no problem now, eh, it's all sorted... you can't call the police because we know where you live and we're gangsters." The summary of facts stated after the attack, there was a "trail of blood" along the victims' property. An ambulance took Toi Toi to hospital where he was found to have fractures to his ribs and face, as well as swelling on his forehead. Reparation was sought by the victims for the "security cameras and dog" they'd acquired, due to feeling unsafe after the attack. The pair's victim impact statements spoke of the continued anxiety they both suffer, and are on medication for, as well as the impact it's had on their ability to sleep. They now own four dogs, and Toi Toi still has breathing difficulties because of the injuries to his nose and sinuses. They both fear bumping into the trio again, and are reluctant to go out in public. The three faced charges of injuring with intent to injure and common assault, and the driver also faced a charge of driving while disqualified. Laurence sought a sentence indication by Judge Melinda Mason, which all three accepted, in which the judge noted the aggravating factors were the multiple attackers, attacks to the head, and the extensive injuries. She did not accept the Crown's submission of victim vulnerability, or that it was an unprovoked attack. "In my view... it was not an unprovoked attack, nor was it pre-mediated, although it was ongoing," said Judge Mason. "I do not consider that to be an aggravating factor, particularly when the complainant was the initial aggressor and he was followed back." Judge Mason adopted a starting point of 26 months' imprisonment, and the defendants were allowed a 20% discount for pleading guilty. Reparation of $1152 was sought and was to be shared across the three defendants. Laurence was sentenced to 10 months' home detention, with six months' post-detention conditions. Sparham was sentenced to 17 months' imprisonment, after an uplift for offending while parole was applied, but was also given discounts for his background, prospects of rehabilitation, and remorse. He offered to pay $2500 emotional harm reparation, and the judge ordered that to be paid within 48 hours. He was currently serving another term of imprisonment, on unrelated matters, and was granted leave to apply for home detention once that sentence was complete. The third defendant's sentencing was adjourned until Friday at 11am, for reasons that can not be reported. - This story was originally published by the NZ Herald
Otago Daily Times
6 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Fight looms as Gaza protest planned for Sydney Harbour Bridge
A pro-Palestine demonstration is planned for one of Australia's most recognisable landmarks, prompting a potential court showdown to block the rally. Protesters have planned a "March for Humanity" across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday in opposition to Israel limiting food deliveries to Gaza, which has brought the risk of mass hunger to two million citizens. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has labelled Israel's actions as "quite clearly" a breach of international law, with protest organisers encouraging him to attend the proposed march to back up his words. But New South Wales Premier Chris Minns was quick to oppose the protest, arguing his government "cannot allow Sydney to descend into chaos". "(We) cannot support a protest of this scale and nature taking place on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, especially with one week's notice," he said on Monday. "The bridge is one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure in our city … unplanned disruption risks not only significant inconvenience, but real public safety concerns." NSW has a permit system that allows protest participants to block public roads and infrastructure, but police can go to court to deny permission. Protest organisers Palestine Action Group noted the bridge was closed for the 2023 World Pride march and for the filming of the movie Fall Guy in that same year. Given Mr Minns cited a lack of preparation time as a reason to halt the march, spokesman Josh Lees queried if he would support it taking place a week later. "The premier warns of chaos, but there is nothing chaotic about people marching for peace, to stop mass starvation," he said. "We invite everyone who is appalled by the deliberate starvation of two million people to join us, including the prime minister, who has recognised that Israel is clearly breaching international law." Weekly pro-Palestine protests have been taking place in the Sydney city centre and other state capitals since Israel launched its war in Gaza in response to designated terror organisation Hamas's deadly October 7, 2023 attack. NSW Police confirmed they had received the required paperwork for Sunday's protest. Senior officers would consult relevant stakeholders, including protest organisers, about other routes that could be taken, a spokesperson said. In 2024, the force challenged protests coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, citing public safety concerns. But the court bid was dropped when organisers scrapped one protest and shifted the route of another so it did not pass Sydney's Great Synagogue. The NSW government has since passed controversial laws granting police powers to restrict protests near places of worship. Pro-democracy groups have repeatedly argued the laws have emboldened the force to "act with impunity".
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Outrage over Gaza mass starvation leads to Israel
Middle East correspondent Jacob Brown spoke to Lisa Owen about mass starvation in Gaza causing international outrage, which has lead to Israel allowing tactical pauses to let limited aid drops into the territory. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
