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The Independent
35 minutes ago
- Health
- The Independent
UN food agency says Israeli tanks and snipers opened fire on a crowd seeking aid in Gaza
The U.N. food agency accused Israel of using tanks, snipers and other weapons to fire on a crowd of Palestinians seeking food aid, in what the territory's Health Ministry said was one of the deadliest days for aid-seekers in over 21 months of war. The World Food Program in a statement Sunday condemned the violence that erupted in northern Gaza as Palestinians tried to reach a convoy of trucks carrying food. The Health Ministry in Gaza said at least 80 people were killed in the incident. The Israeli military has said it fired warning shots 'to remove an immediate threat,' but has questioned the death toll reported by the Palestinians. The accusation by a major aid agency that has had generally good working relations with Israel builds on descriptions by witnesses and others, who also said Israel opened fire on the crowd. The bloodshed surrounding aid access highlights the increasingly precarious situation for people in Gaza who have been desperately seeking out food and other assistance, as the war that has roiled the region shows no signs of ending. Israel and Hamas are still engaged in ceasefire talks, but there appears to be no breakthrough and it's not clear whether any truce would bring the war to a lasting halt. As the talks proceed, the death toll in the war-ravaged territory has climbed to more than 58,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians but the ministry says more than half of the dead are women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Israel has meanwhile widened its evacuation orders for the territory to include an area that has been somewhat less hard-hit than others, indicating a new battleground may be opening up and squeezing Palestinians into ever tinier stretches of Gaza. WFP condemns violence at food distribution points In northern Gaza on Sunday, the Health Ministry, witnesses and a U.N. official said Israeli forces opened fire toward crowds who tried to get food from a 25-truck convoy that had entered the hard-hit area. The WFP statement, which said the crowd surrounding its convoy 'came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire,' backs up those claims. The statement did not specify a death toll, saying only the incident resulted in the loss of 'countless lives.' 'These people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation,' it said, adding that the incident occurred despite assurances from Israeli authorities that aid delivery would improve. 'Shootings near humanitarian missions, convoys and food distributions must stop immediately.' Sunday's incident comes as Palestinian access to aid in the territory has been greatly diminished, and seeking that aid has become perilous. A U.S.- and Israeli-backed aid system that has wrested some aid delivery from traditional providers like the U.N. has been wracked by violence and chaos as Palestinians heading toward its aid distribution sides have come under fire. The group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, had said that the majority of the reported violence has not occurred at its sites. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the WFP's claims. Israel has not allowed international media to enter Gaza throughout the war, and the competing claims could not be independently verified. Violence rages on in Gaza Gaza health officials said Monday at least 13 people, including two women and five children, were killed in Israeli strikes since the previous night. At least two people were killed Monday morning when crowds of Palestinians waiting for aid trucks were shot at in the area of Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, according to Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza city where the dead were taken. He said Israeli forces had opened fire. An Israeli strike overnight hit a tent in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis, killing at least five people, according to the Health Ministry. The dead include two parents, two of their children and a relative, it said. Other strikes hit tents in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis and a residential building in Gaza City, according to health officials. The Israeli military said it was looking into the various strikes. It blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the group operates from populated areas. Hamas triggered the war when militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty remain in Gaza, but fewer than half are thought to be alive. Israel again struck rebels in Yemen The fighting in Gaza has triggered conflicts elsewhere in region, including between Israel and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have fired missiles and drones at Israel in what they say is in solidarity with Palestinians. The Israeli military said it struck the Hodeidah port in Yemen on Monday morning, saying that the Houthis were rebuilding the port infrastructure. Israel said the Houthis used the port to receive weapons from Iran and launch missiles towards Israel. The Israeli military said it targeted the parts of the port used by the Houthis and accused the Houthis of using civilian infrastructure for militant purposes. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the targets included areas of the port that Israel had destroyed in previous strikes. 'The Houthis will pay heavy prices for launching missiles towards the state of Israel,' Katz said. Israel last struck Hodeidah port two weeks ago. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Jerusalem. ___
Associated Press
35 minutes ago
- Health
- Associated Press
UN food agency says Israeli tanks and snipers opened fire on a crowd seeking aid in Gaza
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The U.N. food agency accused Israel of using tanks, snipers and other weapons to fire on a crowd of Palestinians seeking food aid, in what the territory's Health Ministry said was one of the deadliest days for aid-seekers in over 21 months of war. The World Food Program in a statement Sunday condemned the violence that erupted in northern Gaza as Palestinians tried to reach a convoy of trucks carrying food. The Health Ministry in Gaza said at least 80 people were killed in the incident. The Israeli military has said it fired warning shots 'to remove an immediate threat,' but has questioned the death toll reported by the Palestinians. The accusation by a major aid agency that has had generally good working relations with Israel builds on descriptions by witnesses and others, who also said Israel opened fire on the crowd. The bloodshed surrounding aid access highlights the increasingly precarious situation for people in Gaza who have been desperately seeking out food and other assistance, as the war that has roiled the region shows no signs of ending. Israel and Hamas are still engaged in ceasefire talks, but there appears to be no breakthrough and it's not clear whether any truce would bring the war to a lasting halt. As the talks proceed, the death toll in the war-ravaged territory has climbed to more than 58,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians but the ministry says more than half of the dead are women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Israel has meanwhile widened its evacuation orders for the territory to include an area that has been somewhat less hard-hit than others, indicating a new battleground may be opening up and squeezing Palestinians into ever tinier stretches of Gaza. WFP condemns violence at food distribution points In northern Gaza on Sunday, the Health Ministry, witnesses and a U.N. official said Israeli forces opened fire toward crowds who tried to get food from a 25-truck convoy that had entered the hard-hit area. The WFP statement, which said the crowd surrounding its convoy 'came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire,' backs up those claims. The statement did not specify a death toll, saying only the incident resulted in the loss of 'countless lives.' 'These people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation,' it said, adding that the incident occurred despite assurances from Israeli authorities that aid delivery would improve. 'Shootings near humanitarian missions, convoys and food distributions must stop immediately.' Sunday's incident comes as Palestinian access to aid in the territory has been greatly diminished, and seeking that aid has become perilous. A U.S.- and Israeli-backed aid system that has wrested some aid delivery from traditional providers like the U.N. has been wracked by violence and chaos as Palestinians heading toward its aid distribution sides have come under fire. The group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, had said that the majority of the reported violence has not occurred at its sites. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the WFP's claims. Israel has not allowed international media to enter Gaza throughout the war, and the competing claims could not be independently verified. Violence rages on in Gaza Gaza health officials said Monday at least 13 people, including two women and five children, were killed in Israeli strikes since the previous night. At least two people were killed Monday morning when crowds of Palestinians waiting for aid trucks were shot at in the area of Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, according to Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza city where the dead were taken. He said Israeli forces had opened fire. An Israeli strike overnight hit a tent in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis, killing at least five people, according to the Health Ministry. The dead include two parents, two of their children and a relative, it said. Other strikes hit tents in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis and a residential building in Gaza City, according to health officials. The Israeli military said it was looking into the various strikes. It blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the group operates from populated areas. Hamas triggered the war when militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty remain in Gaza, but fewer than half are thought to be alive. Israel again struck rebels in Yemen The fighting in Gaza has triggered conflicts elsewhere in region, including between Israel and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have fired missiles and drones at Israel in what they say is in solidarity with Palestinians. The Israeli military said it struck the Hodeidah port in Yemen on Monday morning, saying that the Houthis were rebuilding the port infrastructure. Israel said the Houthis used the port to receive weapons from Iran and launch missiles towards Israel. The Israeli military said it targeted the parts of the port used by the Houthis and accused the Houthis of using civilian infrastructure for militant purposes. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the targets included areas of the port that Israel had destroyed in previous strikes. 'The Houthis will pay heavy prices for launching missiles towards the state of Israel,' Katz said. Israel last struck Hodeidah port two weeks ago. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Jerusalem. ___ Follow AP's war coverage at
New York Times
13 hours ago
- Health
- New York Times
Monday Briefing: Dozens Killed in Gaza
Israel killed dozens of Palestinians looking for aid, Gaza officials said Israeli forces yesterday killed and wounded dozens of Palestinians who were gathered in northern Gaza to receive aid from U.N. trucks entering the territory, the Gaza health ministry and health workers said. The health ministry and a hospital director in Gaza City said that more than 60 people were killed in the attack, which took place near the Zikim crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel. A nearby field hospital was flooded with victims, including more than 100 who were wounded. Israel's military said that its soldiers fired warning shots, and that they then opened fire to 'remove an immediate threat,' which it did not specify. It also said the reported toll from the violence did 'not align' with its review, and that it was continuing to examine the episode. The U.N. World Food Program said that its convoy of 25 trucks carrying food for Palestinians was entering northern Gaza when it 'encountered massive crowds of hungry civilians which came under gunfire.' Chaos has dominated aid distribution in Gaza, where Palestinians are facing widespread hunger. Israeli soldiers have repeatedly opened fire near huge crowds of Palestinians desperate for food and other aid. Evacuations: After the shooting, the Israeli military warned Palestinians to leave the populated areas of northern Gaza and parts of Gaza City, describing them as 'combat zones.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
16 hours ago
- Health
- CBS News
At least 85 Palestinians killed while trying to reach aid in Gaza, officials say
At least 85 Palestinians were killed while trying to reach aid at locations across Gaza on Sunday, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said, in one of the deadliest days yet for aid-seekers in over 21 months of war. There was new alarm as Israel's military issued evacuation orders for areas of central Gaza, one of the few areas where it has rarely operated with ground troops and where many international organizations attempting to distribute aid are located. The largest toll was in northern Gaza, where at least 67 Palestinians were killed while trying to reach aid entering through the Zikim crossing with Israel, according to the Health Ministry and local hospitals. The U.N. World Food Program said 25 trucks with aid had entered for "starving communities" when it encountered massive crowds that came under gunfire. It called violence against aid-seekers "completely unacceptable." The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-based organization that has been distributing aid in the territory, said in a statement Sunday that its workers were "deeply saddened by reports that more than 30 people were killed while trying to access food from a U.N. convoy at the Zikim crossing in Northern Gaza as humanitarian efforts face escalating violence." The foundation said it distributed 31,968 boxes of aid throughout the day at two distribution sites. Some witnesses said Israel's military shot into the crowd at the Zikim crossing. The Israel Defense Forces said they "fired warning shots in order to remove an immediate threat." "Suddenly, tanks surrounded us and trapped us as gunshots and strikes rained down. We were trapped for around two hours," said Ehab Al-Zei, who had been waiting for flour. "I will never go back again. Let us die of hunger, it's better." Nafiz Al-Najjar, who was injured, said tanks and drones targeted people "randomly" and he saw his cousin and others shot dead. Israel's military said soldiers had shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza who posed a threat, and it was aware of some casualties. But it said the numbers reported by officials in Gaza were far higher than its initial investigation found. The military said it was attempting to facilitate the entry of aid, and accused Hamas militants of creating chaos and endangering civilians. More than 150 people were wounded overall, with some in critical condition, hospitals said. Separately, seven Palestinians were killed while sheltering in tents in Khan Younis in the south, including a 5-year-old boy, according to the Kuwait Specialized Field Hospital, which received the casualties. The killings in northern Gaza didn't take place near aid distribution points associated with the recently created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.- and Israel-backed group. Witnesses and health workers say hundreds of people have been killed by Israeli fire while trying to access the group's aid distribution sites. The new evacuation orders cut access between the central city of Deir al-Balah and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in the narrow territory. The military also reiterated evacuation orders for northern Gaza. The United Nations has been in contact with Israeli authorities to clarify whether U.N. facilities in the southwestern part of Deir al-Balah are included in the evacuation order, according to a U.N. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media. The official said that in previous instances, U.N. facilities were spared from evacuation orders. The latest order covers an area stretching from a previously evacuated area all the way to the Mediterranean coast and will severely hamper movement for aid groups and civilians in Gaza. Military spokesman Avichay Adraee called for people to head to the Muwasi area, a desolate tent camp on Gaza's southern coast that Israel's military has designated a humanitarian zone. The announcement came as Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly asserted that expanding Israel's military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas in negotiations. Also on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire, urging the international community to respect international laws and protect civilians in the wake of an Israeli attack on Gaza's only Catholic church last week, which killed three people and wounded 10 others, including the priest. Earlier this month, Israel's military said it controlled more than 65% of Gaza. Gaza's population of more than 2 million Palestinians are in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, now relying largely on the limited aid allowed into the territory. Many people have been displaced multiple times. Hamas triggered the war when militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Most of the hostages or their remains have been released through various deals, while 50 remain in Gaza, but fewer than half are thought to be alive. Israel's military offensive has killed more than 58,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many militants have been killed but says more than half of the dead have been women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. The Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organization that represents many families of hostages, condemned the new evacuation announcement and demanded that Netanyahu and Israel's military explain what they hope to accomplish in central Gaza, accusing Israel of operating without a clear plan. "Enough! The Israeli people overwhelmingly want an end to the fighting and a comprehensive agreement that will return all of the hostages," the forum said. On Saturday night, during a weekly protest, tens of thousands marched in Tel Aviv to the branch of the U.S. Embassy, demanding an end to the war. Ambulances in front of three major hospitals in Gaza sounded their alarms simultaneously Sunday morning in an urgent appeal as the hunger crisis grows. The Health Ministry posted pictures on social media of doctors holding signs about malnourished children and the lack of medication. A ministry spokesperson, Zaher al-Wahidi, said at least nine children under 5 years old have died of malnutrition since Israel imposed a blockade on the entry of aid in March. The blockade was partially eased in May. He said tracking malnutrition deaths is difficult because some people might be suffering from other medical conditions that could be compounded with severe hunger. In northern Gaza, Shifa Hospital director Abu Selmiyah said the hospital recorded 79 people who died of malnutrition in the past month.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
State Department says 59,000 tons of food assistance are in motion after reports of incinerated aid
FIRST ON FOX: The State Department says it is working swiftly to distribute tens of thousands of tons of food aid around the globe, pushing back on reports that the U.S. was preparing to incinerate hundreds of tons of stockpiled supplies before they could be delivered. According to figures shared with Fox News Digital, the agency currently has 59,305 metric tons of in-kind food commodities stored in warehouses across the United States and abroad. "We have already programmed all the food expiring before October 2026," a senior State Department official said. "The idea that we have tons of expiring food we are letting go to waste is simply false." The State Department says it has approved 44,422 metric tons of food to be transferred or reprogrammed through partnerships with the World Food Program (WFP), Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps, and Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA). That includes 30,000 tons of short-dated food supplies already programmed for delivery to crisis zones like Syria, Bangladesh, and Sudan. An additional 12,000 tons of aid is awaiting final reprogramming, a delay the department attributes to a temporary hold by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Title II apportionments — an issue officials say has now been resolved. "To the extent there is a delay that is causing operational problems, it is not from the State Department," the official said. "All of the food expiring in the next 16 months is accounted for." The official also dismissed recent media coverage, arguing that the focus on a limited amount of food near expiration distorts the larger picture. "The very small portion — less than 1% of USAID's food stockpiles — addressed by the mainstream media was the exception that distracts from a very extensive and orderly process we directed to ensure that all of the food was accounted for in an efficient and strategic manner." The public defense comes after several outlets reported that the Trump administration ordered the incineration of roughly 500 metric tons of emergency food stored in Dubai as it neared expiration. According to Reuters, while 622 tons were successfully redirected to countries including Syria, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, another 496 tons — valued at $793,000 — were destroyed, with an additional $100,000 in disposal costs. The incident occurred as part of a broader restructuring of U.S. foreign aid policy. In early July, the Trump administration officially dissolved USAID, transferring authority over development and humanitarian programs to the State Department. That shift has been accompanied by efforts to rescind billions of dollars in foreign assistance. A temporary aid pause in January prompted the former State Department inspector general to warn that as much as $500 million worth of food aid was at risk of expiring. However, the department says assistance is now back online under a restructured model. With USAID phased out, the State Department is now responsible for managing large-scale aid programs, and it is under pressure to deliver. Lawmakers and aid groups are closely watching to see whether the newly reprogrammed food aid reaches intended recipients. Democrats seized on the incineration reports during congressional hearings this week, accusing the Trump administration of turning its back on urgent humanitarian needs. The reports were first published by The Atlantic. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined the administration's vision for foreign assistance, saying he was abandoning what he called a "charity-based model" in favor of empowering growth and self-reliance in developing nations. "We will favor those nations that have demonstrated both the ability and willingness to help themselves," Rubio wrote, "and will target our resources to areas where they can have a multiplier effect and catalyze durable private sector — including American companies — and global investment." The new approach is designed to emphasize trade and investment over direct aid, and to position the U.S. to better counter China's growing global influence.
