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Days of Palestine
6 days ago
- General
- Days of Palestine
Gaza Aid Turns Deadly: Families Shot While Seeking Food Amid Failed Relief Operation
DaysofPal — In a makeshift hospital tent outside Nasser Hospital, 13-year-old Yazan Musleh lies wounded, a white bandage covering the bullet wound on his frail body. His father, Ihab, sits beside him, visibly shaken by the events of Sunday morning when Israeli forces opened fire on thousands of Palestinians waiting for aid from the controversial, Israeli-American-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Ihab had taken his two sons, Yazan and 15-year-old Yazid, from their shelter in al-Mawasi to Rafah's aid distribution center. After walking for over an hour to reach the site near the al-Alam Roundabout, he told his sons to stay on a nearby hill for safety while he scoped the area. 'I saw tanks nearby and was overcome with fear,' Ihab said. 'Moments later, gunfire erupted. I turned and saw Yazan collapse—he had been shot.' Yazid recalls the chaos: 'We were standing where our father told us, and then the tanks just opened fire. My brother was shot in the stomach—I saw his insides. It was terrifying.' Yazan was rushed to Nasser Hospital in a donkey cart. Doctors performed emergency surgery to repair severe damage to his intestines and spleen. His mother, Iman, sits beside him, wondering aloud why people seeking food are met with bullets. 'This isn't the first time,' Ihab added. 'Last time, we barely survived a deadly stampede. This time, my son was shot—and we still didn't get any food. But I'll keep trying. Hunger is killing us.' A Failing Aid Operation Backed by Military Contractors The GHF, launched in early 2025, promotes itself as a neutral aid effort but is operated with the help of U.S. private military contractors. Its credibility took a major hit even before aid was distributed: founder Jake Wood resigned just days before the first drop, citing ethical concerns. Soon after, Boston Consulting Group also pulled out. Global aid organizations have condemned the GHF's militarized and chaotic distribution methods. Others Caught in the Crossfire Nearby in the same hospital tent lies 40-year-old Mohammed al-Homs, also a father of five. He had arrived at the distribution site only to be shot twice—once in the leg and once in the mouth, shattering his front teeth. 'I collapsed on the ground, bleeding, surrounded by the dead and wounded. It felt like the end of the world,' he said. He lay there for nearly an hour before others were able to carry him to safety. 'That was my first and last time trying to get aid.' 'I Never Thought I'd Be Shot Over Food' Another victim, 36-year-old Khaled al-Lahham, had previously received aid on May 27 and returned hoping for more. He cares for ten displaced relatives in al-Mawasi. As he and five friends approached the site in a car, gunfire erupted again. 'A bullet went straight through my thigh. People were screaming and running. Panic erupted as bullets rained from both tanks and drones,' he recounted. Too injured to move, Khaled was rescued by a friend and taken to the hospital. 'I never thought getting food would mean risking my life,' he said. 'If they don't want us to have aid, why lure us there and kill us?' Final Thoughts The GHF operation continues to raise critical questions. What began as a promise of humanitarian relief has turned into a theater of chaos and violence. Human rights observers warn that these incidents not only violate international humanitarian law but also signal a disturbing trend of militarizing aid in active conflict zones. 'This is no longer an aid operation,' said a local paramedic. 'It's a battlefield.' Shortlink for this post:
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hunger and bullets: Palestinians recall Rafah aid massacre horror
Khan Younis, Gaza – Yazan Musleh, 13, lies in a hospital bed set up in a tent on the grounds of Nasser Hospital, his t-shirt pulled up to reveal a large white bandage on his thin torso. Beside him, his father, Ihab, sits fretfully, still shaken by the bloodied dawn he and his sons lived through on Sunday when Israeli forces opened fire on thousands of people gathered to receive aid from the Israeli-conceived, and United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Ihab, 40, had taken Yazan and his 15-year-old brother, Yazid, from their shelter in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, to the Rafah distribution point that the GHF operates. They set out before dawn, walking for about an hour and a half to get to the al-Alam Roundabout roundabout in Rafah, near the distribution point. Worried about the size of the gathering, hungry crowd, Ihab told his sons to wait for him on an elevation near the GHF gates. 'When I looked behind the hill, I saw several tanks not far away,' he says. 'A feeling of dread came over me. What if they opened fire or something happened? I prayed for God's protection.' As the crowd moved closer to the gates, heavy gunfire erupted from all directions.'I was terrified. I immediately looked towards my sons on the hill, and saw Yazan get shot and collapse,' he recalls. Yazid, also sitting by his brother's bedside, describes the moments of terror. 'We were standing on the hill as our father told us, and suddenly, the tanks opened fire.' He says. 'My brother was hit in the stomach immediately.' 'I saw his intestines spilling out – it was horrifying. Then people helped rush him to the hospital in a donkey cart.' Down by the gates, Ihab was struggling to reach his sons, trying to fight against the crowd while avoiding the shots still ringing out. 'Shooting was coming from every direction – from tanks, quadcopters. 'I saw people helping my son, eventually dragging him away.' When Ihab managed to get away from the crowd, he ran as best as his malnourished body could manage, towards Nasser Hospital, in hopes that Yazan had been taken there. It felt like more than an hour, he says. At Nasser Hospital, he learned that Yazan had been taken into surgery. 'I finally breathed. I thanked God he was still alive. I had completely lost hope,' he says. The bullet that hit Yazan had torn through his intestines and spleen, and the doctors say he needs long and intensive treatment. Sitting by him is his mother, Iman, who asks despairingly why anyone would shoot at people trying to get food. She and Ihab have five children, the youngest is a seven-month-old girl. 'I went to get food for my children. Hunger is killing us,' says Ihab. 'These aid distributions are known to be degrading and humiliating – but we're desperate. I'm desperate because my children are starving, and even then, we are shot at?' He had tried to get aid once before, he says, but both times he came away empty-handed. 'The first time, there was a deadly stampede. We barely escaped. This time, my son was wounded and again… nothing,' he says. But he knows he cannot stop trying. 'I'll risk it for my family. Either I come back alive or I die. I'm desperate. Hunger is killing us.' The GHF, marketed as a neutral humanitarian mechanism, was launched in early 2025 and uses private US military contractors to 'secure the distribution points'.The GHF's head, Jake Wood, resigned his post two days before distribution began, citing concerns that the foundation would not be impartial or act in accordance with humanitarian principles. Five days later, on May 30, the Boston Consulting Group, which had been part of the planning and implementation of the foundation, withdrew its team and terminated its association with GHF. International aid organisations have been unanimous in criticising the GHF and its methods. Lying nearby in the tent ward is Mohammed al-Homs, 40, a father of five. He had also headed out early on Sunday to try to get some food for his family, but moments after arriving at the al-Alam Roundabout roundabout, 'I was shot twice – once in the leg and once in the mouth, shattering my front teeth,' he says. 'I collapsed, there were so many injured and dead around me. Everyone was screaming and running. Gunfire was coming from tanks, drones everywhere. It felt like the end of the world.' He lay bleeding on the ground for what felt like an hour, as medical teams were not able to reach the injured. Then, word spread that the gates had opened for distribution, and those who could move started heading towards the centre. It was only then that people could start moving the wounded to a nearby medical point. 'This was my first time trying to get aid, and it will be my last,' Mohammed says. 'I didn't expect to survive. We went looking for food for our hungry children and were met with drones and tanks.' Also in the tent is someone who had succeeded in getting an aid package on the first day of distribution, on May 27, and decided to try again on Sunday: 36-year-old Khaled al-Lahham. Al-Lahham is taking care of 10 family members: his parents, one aunt, and seven siblings, all of whom are displaced in the tents of al-Mawasi. He had managed to catch a ride with five friends that morning, driving as close as they could to the al-Alam Roundabout roundabout. As the distribution time approached, the six friends started getting out of the car. 'Suddenly, there was loud gunfire all around and people screaming. I felt a sharp pain in my leg – a bullet had passed clean through my thigh,' says Khaled, who did not make it fully out of the car. 'I was screaming and bleeding while people around me ran and screamed. The shooting was frenzied,' he adds. 'There were tanks, quadcopters – fire came from every direction.' Injured, Khaled could not get out of the car and huddled there until one of his friends managed to return and drive him to the hospital. 'I never imagined I'd face death for a box of food,' Khaled says. 'If they don't want to distribute the aid, why do they lie to people and kill them like this? 'This is all deliberate. Humiliate us, degrade us, then kill us – for food?'
Mid East Info
25-03-2025
- Automotive
- Mid East Info
The Majlis at Lamborghini Returns: A Fusion of Art, Heritage and Automotive Mastery
A Ramadan celebration of cultural heritage and innovation, featuring live art on the Lamborghini Huracán Spyder EVO Lamborghini Dubai proudly hosted the second edition of The Majlis at Lamborghini , once again transforming its Sheikh Zayed Road showroom into an immersive space where art, heritage and innovation converge. This year's edition, curated in collaboration with the art gallery Firetti Contemporary, elevated the experience by bridging tradition with modernity, celebrating the intersection of high-performance automotive excellence and artistic expression. At the heart of the event, renowned Lebanese artist Ihab Ahmad embarked on a live painting performance, reimagining a Lamborghini Huracán Spyder EVO as a canvas for creativity and storytelling. Over 90 hours, he meticulously infused the supercar with bold geometric motifs and symbolic patterns, using 8 Lamborghini paint colours to bring his vision to life. Across seven nights, guests gathered to witness his artistic process, capturing the essence of youth, joy, and speed—qualities that are synonymous with Lamborghini. His work reflects the brand's core values—Brave, Unexpected, and Authentic—while blending contemporary energy with artistic heritage. His vibrant colour choices, playful yet meticulously crafted, echoed the spirit of Lamborghini's Ad Personam program, which offers clients over 400 bespoke colour options to personalise their supercars in line with their own individuality. Designed for those who seek exclusivity, Ad Personam allows every Lamborghini to become a unique expression of its owner's personality—just as Ihab's art transformed the Huracán into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. The event culminated in a grand unveiling, revealing a creation that seamlessly blended heritage with innovation. In an atmosphere steeped in cultural tradition, guests indulged in gourmet delicacies, engaged in traditional board games, and enjoyed a mesmerising oud performance . A skilled calligrapher added a personal touch by customising Lamborghini-branded cups with live Arabic calligraphy , celebrating the beauty of cultural craftsmanship. The showroom also featured a curated exhibition by Firetti Contemporary, showcasing works by internationally acclaimed sculptors Rachel K, Paolo Nicolai, Laurent Perbos, and Helidon Xhixha. This exclusive gathering reinforced Lamborghini's role as a cultural tastemaker, fostering artistic dialogue and meaningful connections. The showroom-turned-Majlis became a sanctuary of cross-cultural expression, where precision engineering met the evocative power of art. It was a testament to Lamborghini's philosophy—where design and performance are more than engineering; they are forms of artistic mastery. 'At Lamborghini Abu Dhabi and Dubai, we are passionate about creating experiences that transcend automotive excellence. The Majlis reflects our commitment to honouring the traditions of Ramadan while embracing innovation and bringing together art, culture, and gastronomy in a way that resonates with our diverse community. Collaborating with creatives allows us to celebrate craftsmanship in all its forms, embodying the spirit of Ramadan in a truly unique way,' commented Mr. Rakan Turki, CEO of Lamborghini Abu Dhabi and Dubai. 'We are honoured to collaborate with Lamborghini Abu Dhabi and Dubai once again, bringing together art, innovation, and cultural heritage in a truly immersive experience. This year's Suhoor Majlis reflects the powerful intersection of tradition and modernity, where creativity knows no boundaries,' added Ms. Mara Firetti, Founder and Managing Partner of Firetti Contemporary. As Lamborghini continues to push the boundaries of innovation and design, The Majlis at Lamborghini stands as a testament to its dedication to crafting experiences that inspire and connect. More than just a gathering, it was a tribute to the UAE's rich cultural fabric—a symbol of unity, artistic vision, and the seamless synergy between luxury, performance, and tradition.
