Latest news with #Rafah


Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Health
- Al Jazeera
LIVE: Israel kills 38 aid seekers in Gaza as Israelis demand truce deal
Israeli forces continue to pound Gaza, after killing at least 116 Palestinians on Saturday. The victims include 38 people killed near food aid sites in Rafah. Two more Palestinians, including a 35-day-old infant, has died of malnutrition at Gaza City's al-Shifa Hospital, according to a doctor, as a Muslim group in the United States accused Israel of 'forcibly' starving Palestinians in Gaza, 'backed by billions in US taxpayer-supplied weapons and aid'.

RNZ News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Gaza civil defence says Israeli fire kills 32 near two aid centres
By AFP team in Gaza and 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
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gaza civil defence says Israeli fire kills 32 near two aid centres
Gaza's civil defence agency said on Saturday that Israeli fire 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, has 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. - 'Warning shots' - 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 (more than half a mile) 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 October 7, 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. - 'Agitators' - 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 1,219 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. bur-az-phz/jsa Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
More than 30 killed after Israeli forces open fire on people seeking food in Gaza, health ministry says
Israeli troops opened fire on Gazans seeking food aid in the territory, killing at least 32 people, the Palestinian health ministry and witnesses said. The ministry said that the bodies had been brought to Nasser Medical Complex, along with dozens of injured people. CNN video from the hospital showed lines of bodies. One man, holding his dead son, said: 'He just wanted to eat, what could I do?' It's unclear exactly where the shooting took place. One eyewitness, Hisham Dargam, said it had occurred some 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from an aid distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the controversial Israeli- and US-backed organization. 'Gunfire erupted from soldiers and tanks, as if they were in a battle with us,' he said. The Israeli military said troops had 'identified suspects who approached them during operational activity in the Rafah area' about one kilometer from the aid site 'at night-time when it's not active.' The Israel Defense Forces said troops fire warning shots and was investigating reports of casualties. The GHF denied there were any incidents 'at or near' any of its distribution sites on Saturday. 'The reported IDF activity resulting in fatalities occurred hours before our sites opened and our understanding is most of the casualties occurred several kilometers away from the nearest GHF site,' it said. The GHF added that it had repeatedly warned those seeking aid not to travel to its sites overnight or in early morning hours. However, many Gazans have told CNN that they have to travel to distribution points several hours before they open to have a chance of receiving aid. Food in the strip is scarce, and people are starving, according to multiple UN assessments. Most Gazans also have no means of transportation to travel to GHF centers, so have to walk long distances to reach the sites. A doctor at the Nasser hospital, Travis Melin, said that many of the victims Saturday had 'severe' gunshot wounds to the torso and head. Hundreds of people have been killed while trying to access aid in Gaza since the GHF – a private group - began operating in the Strip in May, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Nearly 800 people were killed in this way between late May and July 7, it said, 615 of whom were killed near GHF sites. 'Food here is a luxury of the privileged,' Dr. Melin told CNN. 'If you're lucky enough to have some money left, you're the only people that can afford actual food. Everyone else is going to these massacre sites… even though they know it comes with this incredible amount of danger,' he added. The director of communications for UNRWA, the United Nations agency that provides relief to Palestinian refugees, told CNN that the current aid distribution system in Gaza is a 'death trap for starving Palestinians' calling for the organization to again be allowed to lead aid efforts. Faltering ceasefire talks Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump struck an optimistic note regarding ongoing ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. 'In Gaza, we got most of the hostages back,' he said on Friday evening. 'We're going to have another ten coming very shortly, and we hope to have that finished pretty quickly, and (Middle East Envoy) Steve Witkoff has been fantastic, he's done a great job in that.' Despite Trump's positive outlook, the two parties to the conflict are again blaming one another for another faltering round of ceasefire talks, releasing statements on Friday accusing the other of dragging their feet in negotiations. Hamas warned that it 'cannot guarantee' that it will agree to any pauses to the conflict in the future if Israel does not agree to work towards a full end to the war in the current round of talks. In the past, Israel has not been keen to agree to any permanent ceasefire, stating that it wants to continue fighting in the Gaza Strip until Hamas is eradicated. Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida said that, if Israel does not comply with its demands, the militant group could also not guarantee that it would release 10 living hostages as a part of the ceasefire deal. 'It has become clear to us that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's government is not genuinely concerned about the captives, simply because they are soldiers,' he continued. An Israeli official told reporters that one key sticking point in the talks is Hamas' refusal to discuss what negotiators have dubbed the 'release key' - the criteria and ratio through which individuals are identified for release in a swap - until there is a finalized agreement on where Israel will position its troops. Israel is willing to be flexible in talks, the source said, accusing Hamas of 'foot-dragging.' CNN's Abeer Salman, Dana Karni and Donald Judd contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword

News.com.au
11 hours ago
- News.com.au
Gaza civil defence says Israeli fire kills 32 near two aid centres
Gaza's civil defence agency said on Saturday that Israeli fire 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, has 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. - 'Warning shots' - 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 (more than half a mile) 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 October 7, 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. - 'Agitators' - 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 1,219 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.