Latest news with #AbdullahAleyat
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
Crush at Gaza food hub kills 20 as crowd panics
Twenty Palestinians have been killed at a food distribution centre run by an Israeli-backed American organisation in the Gaza Strip, mostly from being trampled. They were the first deaths reported at one of the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) sites, although hundreds have been killed by Israeli forces on the roads leading to them, according to witnesses and health officials. Gaza's Health Ministry and witnesses said GHF workers used tear gas against the crowd outside one of its food distribution hubs, causing a panic. The ministry said that it was the first time people have been killed by a stampede at the aid sites. Some witnesses said the crowd panicked after receiving messages that no aid would be distributed or would only be distributed later. "They used stun grenades and pepper spray against us. They had aid inside, but they intentionally did not distribute it to let people crowd outside," said Abdullah Aleyat, who was at the GHF site on Wednesday morning. Omar Al-Najjar, a resident of the nearby city of Rafah, said people were gasping for air, possibly from tear gas. The injuries were "not from gunfire, but from people clustering and pushing against each other," Al-Najjar said. The UN human rights office and Gaza's Health Ministry said that 875 Palestinians in the enclave have been killed while seeking food since May, with 674 of those in the vicinity of aid distribution sites run by GHF. Israeli strikes across Gaza on Wednesday killed at least 54 others, including 14 children, according to hospital officials. Meanwhile in Syria, government officials and leaders in the Druze religious minority announced a renewed ceasefire late on Wednesday after days of clashes that have threatened to unravel the country's postwar political transition and drawn escalated military intervention from neighbouring Israel. UNICEF says the world has failed Gaza's children with more than 17,000 killed and 33,000 wounded in the ongoing war. UNICEF's executive director Catherine Russell told the UN Security Council the territory's one million children have faced immense suffering. An average of 28 children die daily in Gaza, "a whole classroom of children killed every day for nearly two years", she said. Malnutrition has surged, with nearly 6000 children acutely malnourished in June, a 180 per cent increase since February, she said. UNICEF warns these children will face lifelong impacts. Food supplies are running out and civilians are being shot while seeking something to eat, Undersecretary-General Tom Fletcher said. "Civilians are exposed to death and injury, forcible displacement, stripped of dignity," he told the UN Security Council, emphasising Israel's obligation under the Geneva Conventions to provide food and medical aid as the occupying power in Gaza. He also challenged the council to consider whether Israel's rules of engagement incorporate all the precautions to avoid and minimise civilian casualties. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric also described people being severely injured at the US-run GHF sites. He told reporters the UN Population Fund that reports of domestic violence, sexual exploitation and abuse were on the rise and "pregnant women are delivering their babies in the dark, with no electricity or no skilled care to address potential complications". Additionally, a survey by one of the UN's partners found that more than 80 per cent of people with disabilities have lost wheelchairs, hearing aids, walkers and many other devices during the war in Gaza, Dujarric said. Meanwhile, a key governing partner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is quitting the government, leaving him with a minority in parliament. The Shas ultra-Orthodox party said it was leaving over disagreements surrounding a proposed law meant to grant wide military draft exemptions to its constituents. A second ultra-Orthodox party quit earlier this week over the same issue. The political turmoil comes as Israel and Hamas are negotiating on a US-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza.
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Devastating stampede at Gaza aid hub ‘sees 19 Palestinians trampled to death'
As many as 19 people were trampled on Wednesday with another fatally stabbed in violence at the site, according to the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation A devastating stampede at an aid hub in war-torn Gaza is said to have left 19 Palestinians trampled to death. The tragedy came after the UN earlier recorded almost 900 'desperate and hungry Gazans' have been killed in the stricken enclave seeking food in recent weeks. As many as 19 people were trampled on Wednesday with another fatally stabbed in violence at the site, according to the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). It comes as Israeli strikes killed 41 others, including 11 kids, according to hospital officials. GHF, whose operations have stoked controversy with over 170 charities and other NGOs calling for it to be shut, accused militant group Hamas of fomenting panic and spreading misinformation leading to the violence. It marks the first time the Israeli-backed US group has acknowledged deadly violence at its operations. GHF workers used tear gas against the crowd, inciting a panic, Gaza's Health Ministry and witnesses claimed. The incident occurred at a distribution hub in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The crowd panicked after receiving messages that no aid would be distributed or would only be given out later, some witnesses said. And others said people became trapped while trying to move through a turnstile system, which creates a bottleneck. A resident of the nearby city of Rafah said people were gasping for air, possibly from tear gas. The injuries were "not from gunfire, but from people clustering and pushing against each other," Omar Al-Najjar said as he carried, with three other men, an injured stranger to a hospital. He said the chaos at the sites is forcing Palestinians to "march towards death." "They used stun grenades and pepper spray against us," Abdullah Aleyat, who was at the GHF site on Wednesday morning, said. "When they saw people killing each other, they opened the gate and people stepped over each other and suffocated," Aleyat explained, standing in a hospital room with some of the injured. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 22 people in Gaza City, including 11 children and three women, and 19 others in Khan Younis. The Israeli military said it had struck over 120 targets in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip, including Hamas military infrastructure of tunnels and weapons storage facilities. On Tuesday, the UN disclosed figures showing its recorded death toll for Palestinians seeking food since May. 'As of 13 July, we have recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food; 674 of them were killed in the vicinity of GHF sites,' Thameen Al-Kheetan, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said. And the other 201 were killed seeking food 'on the routes of aid convoys or near aid convoys' run by the UN or its partners still operating in Gaza, the spokesperson explained. Claims emerged last month that Israeli troops deliberately fired at Palestinians near aid sites in Gaza. It was alleged troops were ordered to shoot at crowds despite posing no threat. But Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister, Israel Katz, rejected respected Israeli newspaper Haaretz's report. On Wednesday, the Israeli military announced the opening of a fourth corridor – bisecting the city of Khan Younis – where troops have seized land in what they said is a pressure tactic against Hamas. Last week, US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu held two days of talks ending with no sign of a breakthrough in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release. The war was sparked by Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel in 2023, which killed about 1,200 people – with 251 hostages taken. Israel's offensive has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
San Francisco Chronicle
7 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Latest: 20 die in stampede at Gaza food distribution site as Israeli strikes kill 41 others
A stampede at a food distribution site run by an Israeli-backed American organization in the Gaza Strip killed 20 Palestinians on Wednesday, the group said, in the first acknowledgment of deadly violence at its operations. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund, an American organization backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip's population, said 19 people were trampled in a stampede and one person was fatally stabbed at a hub in the southern city of Khan Younis. The organization accused the Hamas militant group of fomenting panic and spreading misinformation that led to the violence, though it provided no evidence to support the claim. The deaths came as Israeli strikes killed 41 others, including 11 children, in Gaza City and Khan Younis, according to hospital officials. The Israeli military said it has struck more than 120 targets in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip, including Hamas military infrastructure of tunnels and weapons storage facilities. Israel blames Hamas for the civilian deaths because the group often operates in residential areas. Israel strikes near defense ministry in Damascus The Israeli army said Wednesday that it struck near the entrance to the Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus, as clashes continued in the southern Syrian city of Sweida after a ceasefire between government forces and Druze armed groups collapsed. Israel has launched a series of airstrikes on convoys of government forces in southern Syria since the clashes erupted and has beefed up forces on the border. It has said it is acting to protect the Druze religious minority. The Druze religious sect began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. Stun grenades and pepper spray caused chaos at food distribution site Gaza's Health Ministry and witnesses said GHF workers used tear gas against the crowd outside one of its food distribution hubs, causing a panic. The ministry said that it was the first time people have been killed by a stampede at the aid sites. 'They used stun grenades and pepper spray against us. They had aid inside, but they intentionally did not distribute it to let people crowd outside,″ said Abdullah Aleyat, who was at the GHF site on Wednesday morning. Omar Al-Najjar, a resident of the nearby city of Rafah, said people were gasping for air, possibly from tear gas. The injuries were 'not from gunfire, but from people clustering and pushing against each other,' Al-Najjar said as he carried an injured stranger to a hospital. The sites are inside Israeli military zones protected by private American contractors. Israel troops surround the sites, but the army says they are not in the immediate vicinity.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
The Latest: 20 die in stampede at Gaza food distribution site as Israeli strikes kill 41 others
A stampede at a food distribution site run by an Israeli-backed American organization in the Gaza Strip killed 20 Palestinians on Wednesday, the group said, in the first acknowledgment of deadly violence at its operations. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund, an American organization backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip's population, said 19 people were trampled in a stampede and one person was fatally stabbed at a hub in the southern city of Khan Younis. The organization accused the Hamas militant group of fomenting panic and spreading misinformation that led to the violence, though it provided no evidence to support the claim. The deaths came as Israeli strikes killed 41 others, including 11 children, in Gaza City and Khan Younis, according to hospital officials. The Israeli military said it has struck more than 120 targets in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip, including Hamas military infrastructure of tunnels and weapons storage facilities. Israel blames Hamas for the civilian deaths because the group often operates in residential areas. Here's the latest: Israel strikes near defense ministry in Damascus The Israeli army said Wednesday that it struck near the entrance to the Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus, as clashes continued in the southern Syrian city of Sweida after a ceasefire between government forces and Druze armed groups collapsed. Israel has launched a series of airstrikes on convoys of government forces in southern Syria since the clashes erupted and has beefed up forces on the border. It has said it is acting to protect the Druze religious minority. The Druze religious sect began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. Stun grenades and pepper spray caused chaos at food distribution site Gaza's Health Ministry and witnesses said GHF workers used tear gas against the crowd outside one of its food distribution hubs, causing a panic. The ministry said that it was the first time people have been killed by a stampede at the aid sites. 'They used stun grenades and pepper spray against us. They had aid inside, but they intentionally did not distribute it to let people crowd outside,″ said Abdullah Aleyat, who was at the GHF site on Wednesday morning. Omar Al-Najjar, a resident of the nearby city of Rafah, said people were gasping for air, possibly from tear gas. The injuries were 'not from gunfire, but from people clustering and pushing against each other,' Al-Najjar said as he carried an injured stranger to a hospital. The sites are inside Israeli military zones protected by private American contractors. Israel troops surround the sites, but the army says they are not in the immediate vicinity. The United Nations human rights office and Gaza's Health Ministry said Tuesday that 875 Palestinians in the enclave have been killed while seeking food since May, with 674 of those in the vicinity of aid distribution sites run by GHF.
Hamilton Spectator
7 days ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
The Latest: 20 die in stampede at Gaza food distribution site as Israeli strikes kill 41 others
A stampede at a food distribution site run by an Israeli-backed American organization in the Gaza Strip killed 20 Palestinians on Wednesday, the group said, in the first acknowledgment of deadly violence at its operations. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund , an American organization backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip's population, said 19 people were trampled in a stampede and one person was fatally stabbed at a hub in the southern city of Khan Younis. The organization accused the Hamas militant group of fomenting panic and spreading misinformation that led to the violence, though it provided no evidence to support the claim. The deaths came as Israeli strikes killed 41 others, including 11 children, in Gaza City and Khan Younis, according to hospital officials. The Israeli military said it has struck more than 120 targets in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip, including Hamas military infrastructure of tunnels and weapons storage facilities. Israel blames Hamas for the civilian deaths because the group often operates in residential areas. Here's the latest: Israel strikes near defense ministry in Damascus The Israeli army said Wednesday that it struck near the entrance to the Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus, as clashes continued in the southern Syrian city of Sweida after a ceasefire between government forces and Druze armed groups collapsed. Israel has launched a series of airstrikes on convoys of government forces in southern Syria since the clashes erupted and has beefed up forces on the border. It has said it is acting to protect the Druze religious minority. The Druze religious sect began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. Stun grenades and pepper spray caused chaos at food distribution site Gaza's Health Ministry and witnesses said GHF workers used tear gas against the crowd outside one of its food distribution hubs, causing a panic. The ministry said that it was the first time people have been killed by a stampede at the aid sites . 'They used stun grenades and pepper spray against us. They had aid inside, but they intentionally did not distribute it to let people crowd outside,″ said Abdullah Aleyat, who was at the GHF site on Wednesday morning. Omar Al-Najjar, a resident of the nearby city of Rafah, said people were gasping for air, possibly from tear gas. The injuries were 'not from gunfire, but from people clustering and pushing against each other,' Al-Najjar said as he carried an injured stranger to a hospital. The sites are inside Israeli military zones protected by private American contractors. Israel troops surround the sites, but the army says they are not in the immediate vicinity. The United Nations human rights office and Gaza's Health Ministry said Tuesday that 875 Palestinians in the enclave have been killed while seeking food since May, with 674 of those in the vicinity of aid distribution sites run by GHF. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
