Latest news with #UmmRaedal-Nuaizi
Leaders
5 hours ago
- Health
- Leaders
UN Denounces Gaza Aid 'Death Trap' Amid Rising Casualties
At least 46 people died from Israeli fire while waiting for aid in central and southern Gaza, according to rescuers. UN agencies condemned the US and Israel-backed food distribution system, labeling it 'an abomination' and 'a death trap.' Such deadly incidents have become nearly daily occurrences, yet they attract little attention outside Gaza since Israel's recent attack on Iran. The UN reports over 410 Palestinians have died from Israeli gunfire or shelling since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operations in late May. Umm Raed al-Nuaizi, a widow, questioned, 'Why are our children's lives seen as so cheap?' Her son suffered gunshot wounds while collecting food for their family. 'Now he is in the intensive care unit,' she lamented. Chaos in Hospitals Footage from al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat depicted chaos as young men with gunshot wounds arrived, groaning in pain. Hospital officials reported at least 21 deaths and around 150 injuries from recent incidents as witnesses described thousands gathering near a GHF site in an Israeli military zone when soldiers opened fire. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated they identified a gathering near their troops in the Netzarim corridor. They acknowledged receiving reports of injuries from IDF fire, adding that details are under review. The GHF denied any incidents near their sites that morning. On Tuesday morning, paramedics reported at least 25 additional deaths near a GHF site in southern Gaza. Witness Hatem Abu Rjileh recounted how Israeli tanks advanced and opened fire on civilians. 'Blood got everywhere,' he said, noting many were wounded without rescue. UN Criticism of Aid Mechanism As news of the incidents spread, UN human rights office spokesman Thameen al-Kheetan condemned the aid distribution system. He stated, 'Israel's militarized humanitarian assistance mechanism contradicts international standards.' He emphasized that weaponizing food and restricting access to essential services constitutes a war crime. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), criticized the new aid mechanism as a 'death trap.' He highlighted that it humiliates desperate people and costs more lives than it saves. Despite recent UN criticism, the IDF maintains that it allows the GHF to operate independently. Israel eased its blockade of Gaza over a month ago, allowing aid distribution to resume. World Central Kitchen reported that aid lorries reached Gaza for the first time in over 12 weeks. However, experts warn that the volume remains inadequate, leaving Gaza on the brink of famine. Short link : Post Views: 15
Saudi Gazette
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
UN condemns Gaza aid 'death trap' as dozens reported killed by Israeli fire
GAZA — At least 46 people waiting for aid have been killed by Israeli fire in two incidents in central and southern Gaza, according to rescuers and hospitals. UN agencies have condemned the US and Israel-backed food distribution system, with one official calling it "an abomination" and "a death trap". Such deadly incidents have recently become a near daily occurrence but have attracted relatively little attention outside Gaza since Israel attacked Iran more than a week ago. Without including the latest deaths, the UN has said that more than 410 Palestinians are reported to have been killed by Israeli gunfire or shelling since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began work in late May. "Why are our children's lives seen as so cheap?" demanded Umm Raed al-Nuaizi, a widow whose son was shot and wounded after he went overnight to collect food for his hungry family in central Gaza. "My son went to get a grain of flour so that he could eat and feed his siblings, and now he is in the intensive care unit."Footage from al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat showed chaotic scenes as young men with gunshot wounds were carried in, groaning in pain and some drenched in every bed was filled, and casualties covered the older man was set down dead as his wife, bereft, cradled his face and officials and the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said that at least 21 people were killed and some 150 said that thousands had crowded near a site run by the GHF in an Israeli military zone when soldiers opened Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a gathering had been "identified in an area adjacent to IDF troops operating in the Netzarim corridor"."Reports of injured individuals as a result of IDF fire in the area were received. The details are under review," it GHF said there were "no incidents near any of our sites this morning".Paramedics and rescuers said that at least 25 people were also killed near a site run by the GHF in southern Gaza on Tuesday morning.A witness told the BBC that he had gone to a site north of Rafah at 05:00, but shortly before it was due to open at 10:00, Israeli tanks advanced towards them and opened fire with no announcements."The shooting was directly on the civilians and blood got everywhere," Hatem Abu Rjileh said."Everyone around us got wounded, there may be more than 30 wounded whom no-one was able to rescue. We only managed to rescue our relative and left with him."The IDF told the BBC that "contrary to the reports being spread out, the IDF is not aware of the incident in question at the Rafah aid distribution site".Israel eased its total blockade of Gaza just over a month ago, and the GHF began operations a few days later. The group says it has since provided 41 million GHF is officially classed as a private organisation, it has opaque funding and is backed by the US and Israel. It uses armed private security UN and major aid groups have refused to co-operate with the foundation, accusing it of co-operating with Israel's goals in the 20-month-old war against Hamas in a way that violates humanitarian Israel sees the GHF as key to a new aid plan which it says will undermine what remains of Hamas control in news of the latest incidents broke, a spokesman for the UN human rights office, Thameen al-Kheetan, held a briefing in Geneva condemning the system."Israel's militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism is in contradiction with international standards on aid distribution," he said."The weaponization of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services constitutes a war crime."He added that it was for courts to decide if war crimes had been to reporters in Berlin, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), said: "The newly created, so-called mechanism is an abomination that humiliates and degrades desperate people. It is a death trap costing more lives than it saves."Asked for a response to recent UN criticism, the IDF told the BBC that it allowed the GHF "to operate independently in distributing aid to the residents of Gaza and is working to ensure its safe and continuous distribution, in accordance with international law".Israel's idea for a new phase of war in Gaza, put forward several weeks ago, has not taken involved the GHF running the only aid distribution now, Israel is still allowing dozens of lorries carrying aid for the UN and some other aid organisations into Saturday, World Central Kitchen said aid lorries had reached its teams in Gaza for the first time in over 12 weeks, allowing it to restart cooking at some of its the volume of food is still inadequate, and experts warn that Gaza remains on the brink of Gaza City, a father of four daughters told us that his family had resorted to eating bread and salt but that he would not risk his life to go to the GHF aid centres."They are called death zones," Mahmoud al-Ghura said. "My son has already been martyred.""I am afraid that if I went to get a bag of flour I would return carried in one. Every day people go there and die. What are we to do?" — BBC
