Latest news with #Zaheral-Waheidi
Gulf Today
11 hours ago
- Health
- Gulf Today
Israeli forces kill 27 more Palestinians in Gaza
Palestinian health officials and witnesses say Israeli forces fired on people as they headed toward an aid distribution site on Tuesday, killing at least 27, in the third such incident in three days. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry is led by medical professionals but reports to the Hamas-run government. The army said it fired "near a few individual suspects' who left the designated route, approached its forces and ignored warning shots. The near-daily shootings have come after an Israeli and US-backed foundation established aid distribution points inside Israeli military zones, a system it says is designed to circumvent Hamas. A Palestinian man rushes a girl who was injured in Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday. AFP The United Nations has rejected the new system, saying it doesn't address Gaza's mounting hunger crisis and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon. The Israeli military said it was looking into reports of casualties on Tuesday. It previously said it fired warning shots at suspects who approached its forces early Sunday and Monday, when health officials and witnesses said 34 people were killed. The military denies opening fire on civilians or blocking them from reaching the aid sites. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates the sites, says there has been no violence in or around them. On Tuesday, it acknowledged that the Israeli military was investigating whether civilians were wounded "after moving beyond the designated safe corridor and into a closed military zone,' in an area that was "well beyond our secure distribution site.' The shootings all occurred at the Flag Roundabout, around a kilometer (1,000 yards) from one of the GHF's distribution sites in the now mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah. The entire area is an Israeli military zone where journalists have no access outside of army-approved embeds. At least 27 people were killed early Tuesday, according to Zaher al-Waheidi, the head of the Gaza Health Ministry's records department. A Palestinian woman holds the shrouded body of a loved one killed during an Israeli strike that targeted the home of the Al Bursh family in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday. AFP Hisham Mhanna, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said its field hospital in Rafah received 184 wounded people, 19 of whom were declared dead on arrival and eight more who later died of their wounds. The 27 dead were transferred to Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis. Yasser Abu Lubda, a 50-year-old displaced Palestinian from Rafah, said the shooting started around 4 a.m. in the city's Flag Roundabout area, around one kilometer (1,000 yards) away from the aid distribution hub. He said he saw several people killed or wounded. Neima al-Aaraj, a woman from Khan Younis, gave a similar account. "There were many martyrs and wounded,' she said, saying the shooting by Israeli forces was "indiscriminate.' She said she managed to reach the hub but returned empty-handed. "There was no aid there,' she said. "After the martyrs and wounded, I won't return,' she said. "Either way we will die.' Rasha al-Nahal, another witness, said "there was gunfire from all directions.' She said she counted more than a dozen dead and several wounded along the road. She said she also found no aid when she arrived at the distribution hub, and that Israeli forces "fired at us as we were returning.' The Israeli military meanwhile said Tuesday that three of its soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip, in what appeared to be the deadliest attack on Israel's forces since it ended a ceasefire with Hamas in March. The military said the three soldiers, all in their early 20s, fell during combat in northern Gaza on Monday, without providing details. Israeli media reported that they were killed in an explosion in the Jabaliya area. Israel ended the ceasefire in March after Hamas refused to change the agreement to release more hostages sooner. Israeli strikes have killed thousands of Palestinians since then, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 people hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel that ignited the war. They are still holding 58 hostages, a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Its toll is seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts, though Israel has challenged its numbers. Associated Press
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Health
- Qatar Tribune
Israeli attacks kill 27 aid seekers in Gaza, says health ministry
Agencies Gaza Israeli forces have killed at least 27 Palestinians and injured 90 more as they opened fire close to an aid distribution site in Rafah, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. The latest killings came early on Tuesday at the Flag Roundabout, near an aid hub operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). It was the third such incident around the Rafah hub in as many days. Gaza's authorities report that more than 100 aid seekers have been killed since the United States- and Israel-backed GHF started operating in the enclave on May 27, with reports of violence, looting and chaos rife. The Israeli military said it had fired shots as 'a number of suspects' deviated from the regulated routes, on which a crowd was making its way to the GHF distribution complex. The 'suspects' were about 500 metres (approximately 550 yards) from the site, the military said in a statement on Telegram, adding that it was looking into reports of casualties. The death toll was confirmed by Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza Health Ministry's records department. A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, Hisham Mhanna, said 184 wounded people had been taken to its field hospital in Rafah, 19 of whom were found dead on arrival, and eight others died later of their wounds. Video verified by Al Jazeera's Sanad fact-checking agency showed the arrival of dozens of injured people at the hospital. Gaza's Government Media Office accused Israel of 'a horrific, intentionally repeated crime', saying it has been luring starving Palestinians to the GHF centres – controversially opened following an 11-week total blockade to take over most aid distribution from the United Nations and other aid agencies – and then opening fire. It said Tuesday's death toll brought the number of aid seekers killed at aid sites in the Rafah governorate and the so-called Netzarim Corridor since GHF launched operations to 102, with 490 others injured. The United Nations on Monday demanded an independent investigation into the repeated mass shootings of aid seekers in Gaza. 'It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food,' said Secretary General Antonio Guterres. 'I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.' 'We heard from witnesses that there was chaos,' said Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary, reporting about Tuesday's killings from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. 'The Israeli forces just opened fire randomly, shooting Palestinians … using quadcopters and live ammunition.' Health Ministry officials and doctors said most of the wounded have been hit in their chest and head, she added. The bloodshed, she continued, had unfolded in the same way as on the previous two days, amid ongoing chaos around the aid distribution centres. 'There's no process. There's no system,' she said. 'You just need to run first to be able to get the food.' Rasha al-Nahal told The Associated Press news agency that 'there was gunfire from all directions', and that she saw more than a dozen people dead and several wounded on the road. When she finally made it to the distribution hub, there was no aid, al-Nahal said, adding that Israeli troops 'fired at us as we were returning'. Another witness, Neima al-Aaraj, from Khan Younis, described the shooting as 'indiscriminate'. 'I won't return,' she said. 'Either way, we will die.' The Israeli military, in its statement on Telegram, said troops had fired warning shots as people deviated from 'designated access routes' and 'after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced toward the troops'. However, it denied firing on civilians or blocking them from accessing aid. This account echoes statements around similar incidents on Sunday, when 31 aid seekers were reportedly killed, and on Monday, when three more were killed.
Leaders
a day ago
- General
- Leaders
Israel Targets Palestinians Heading to Aid Distribution Site
The Israeli military on Tuesday opened fire on Palestinians while they were trying to reach an aid distribution site in southern Gaza, for the third time in three days. Meanwhile, the UN has called for an independent investigation into the targeting of Palestinians near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution site in Gaza's southern city of Rafah. Killing Aid Seekers On early Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the Israeli military killed at least 27 people, including two women and three children, and injured others while they were heading to the GHF's aid distribution site, the Associated Press (AP) reported citing the head of Gaza's Health Ministry's records department, Zaher al-Waheidi. This marked the third incident in three days. According to the AP, all the shooting incidents took place at the Flag Roundabout, located one kilometer away from one of the GHF's distribution sites in the southern city of Rafah, an area that has been turned into an Israeli military zone. Israeli Denial The Israeli military said that its troops opened fire at several suspects who did not adhere to the designated access routes, according to CNN. It said that its forces do not prevent Gazan civilians from reaching the humanitarian aid distribution sites. 'The troops carried out warning fire, and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced toward the troops,' the Israeli military said in a statement, adding it was looking into reports of casualties. Multiple Incidents The Tuesday shooting occurred near the same location where previous shooting incidents took place over the past two days. On Monday morning, Israeli troops killed three Palestinians and injured dozens while they were on their way to the GHF aid distribution site in Rafah, according to Palestinian and hospital officials. Similarly, the Israeli military shot dead dozens of Palestinians in the same area on Sunday, according to Palestinian officials and eyewitnesses. The Palestinian officials said that the incident claimed the lives of 31 people and wounded dozens. However, the Israeli military denied firing 'within or near' the aid distribution site. GHF Response On its part, the GHF denied any violence in or around its site. In a statement, it said that aid distribution occurred 'safely and without incident.' It added that the Israeli military was investigating whether civilians were injured 'after moving beyond the designated safe corridor and into a closed military zone.' 'This was an area well beyond our secure distribution site and operations area. We recognize the difficult nature of the situation and advise all civilians to remain in the safe corridor when traveling to our distribution sites,' the statement noted. Aid Delivery Mechanism The GHF is an Israeli and US-backed organization which operates a new aid distribution mechanism. It involves establishing a number of distribution hubs in southern and central Gaza, where Palestinian civilians will head once a week to receive one aid package per family. The GHF cooperates with private American contractors to secure aid trucks until their arrival at the distribution sites. However, the GHF has faced mounting criticism from the UN and other humanitarian organizations, which refused to work with the organization amid fears that its distribution model will force the displacement of Palestinians. Moreover, the GHF head resigned, citing concerns over 'humanitarian principles,' including neutrality and independence. UN Calls for Investigation After the Sunday shooting incident, the UN called for an independent investigation. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, expressed concern over the reports of shooting Gazan civilians seeking aid. 'I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday,' he said in a statement on Monday. 'I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable,' the UN head said. Dehumanization of Gazans On the same day, the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, sharply criticized the current aid delivery mechanism as 'unacceptable' and 'dehumanizing.' In an interview with the BBC, he said: 'It's heartbreaking. I cannot believe that humanitarian aid is delivered in such circumstances. It's unacceptable, it's dehumanizing and I really hope there is a rethinking of the whole absolute need to get humanitarian aid in quickly and not through the current system.' 'I think what it shows is utter disregard for civilians. Can you imagine people that have been absolutely desperate for food, for medicine, for almost three months and then they have to run for it or try to get it in the most desperate circumstances? It does show a huge dehumanization of the people who are desperately in need,' he noted. Short link : Post Views: 50
Al-Ahram Weekly
a day ago
- Health
- Al-Ahram Weekly
UPDATED: Israel opens fire again near Gaza aid point killing at least 27 Palestinians - War on Gaza
Israeli forces fired on Palestinians as they headed toward an aid distribution site in Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least 27, in the third such incident in three days. health officials and witnesses said. The occupation army said it fired 'near a few individual suspects' who left the designated route, approached its forces and ignored warning shots, AP reported. The near-daily shootings have come after an Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) established aid distribution points inside Israeli self-declared military zones. The United Nations has rejected the new system, saying it doesn't address Gaza's mounting hunger crisis and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon. The Israeli army said it was looking into reports of casualties on Tuesday. It previously said it fired warning shots at suspects who approached its forces early Sunday and Monday, when health officials and witnesses said 34 people were killed. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates the sites, claimed there has been no violence in or around them. On Tuesday, it acknowledged though that the Israeli army was investigating whether civilians were wounded 'after moving beyond the designated safe corridor.' The US-backed GHF has recently opened four aid distribution centres in southern and central Gaza. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation into the shooting, calling it "unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food". Israel has come under mounting pressure to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where people are facing severe shortages of food and other essentials after Israel imposed a more than two-month blockade on all supplies. 'Either way we will die' The shootings all occurred at the Flag Roundabout, around a kilometer (1,000 yards) from one of the GHF's distribution sites in the now mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah. The entire area is now an Israeli military zone where journalists have no access outside of army-approved embeds. At least 27 people were killed early Tuesday, according to Zaher al-Waheidi, the head of the Health Ministry's records department. Hisham Mhanna, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said its field hospital in Rafah received 184 wounded people, 19 of whom were declared dead on arrival and eight more who later died of their wounds. The 27 dead were transferred to Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis. There were three children and two women among the dead, according to Mohammed Saqr, head of nursing at Nasser Hospital. Hospital director Atef al-Hout said most of the patients had gunshot wounds. Yasser Abu Lubda, a 50-year-old displaced Palestinian from Rafah, said the shooting started around 4 a.m. in the city's Flag Roundabout area, around one kilometer (1,000 yards) away from the aid distribution hub. He said he saw several people killed or wounded. Neima al-Aaraj, a woman from Khan Younis, gave a similar account. 'There were many martyrs and wounded,' she said, saying the shooting by Israeli forces was 'indiscriminate.' She said she managed to reach the hub but returned empty-handed. 'There was no aid there,' she said. 'After the martyrs and wounded, I won't return,' she said. 'Either way we will die.' Rasha al-Nahal, another witness, said 'there was gunfire from all directions.' She said she counted more than a dozen dead and several wounded along the road. She said she also found no aid when she arrived at the distribution hub, and that Israeli forces 'fired at us as we were returning.' An Associated Press reporter who arrived at the Red Cross field hospital at around 6 a.m. saw wounded people being transferred to other hospitals by ambulance. Outside, people were passing by on their way back from the aid hub, mostly empty-handed, while empty flour bags stained with blood lay on the ground. Israeli soldiers killed The Israeli army meanwhile said Tuesday that three of its soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip, in what appeared to be the deadliest attack on Israel's forces since it ended a ceasefire in March. The occupation soldiers were killed in an explosion in the Jabaliya area, in northern Gaza on Monday, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war to 424. Israel has, in March, stepped up its genocidal war on Gaza, breaking the ceasefire as it seeked to impose new conditions to change the agreement sponsored by Egyt, Qatar and the US. Israeli soldiers have killed at least 4,201 people in Gaza since Israel resumed its offensive since then, taking the war's overall toll to 54,470, mostly women and children. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Israeli fire kills at least 27 aid seekers in Gaza: Health Ministry
Israeli forces have killed at least 27 Palestinians and injured 90 more as they opened fire close to an aid distribution site in Rafah, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. The latest killings came early on Tuesday at the Flag Roundabout, near an aid hub operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). It was the third such incident around the Rafah hub in as many days. Gaza's authorities report that more than 100 aid seekers have been killed since the United States- and Israel-backed GHF started operating in the enclave on May 27, with reports of violence, looting and chaos rife. The Israeli military said it had fired shots as 'a number of suspects' deviated from the regulated routes, on which a crowd was making its way to the GHF distribution complex. The 'suspects' were about 500 metres (approximately 550 yards) from the site, the military said in a statement on Telegram, adding that it was looking into reports of death toll was confirmed by Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza Health Ministry's records department. A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, Hisham Mhanna, said 184 wounded people had been taken to its field hospital in Rafah, 19 of whom were found dead on arrival, and eight others died later of their wounds. Video verified by Al Jazeera's Sanad fact-checking agency showed the arrival of dozens of injured people at the hospital. Gaza's Government Media Office accused Israel of 'a horrific, intentionally repeated crime', saying it has been luring starving Palestinians to the GHF centres – controversially opened following an 11-week total blockade to take over most aid distribution from the United Nations and other aid agencies – and then opening fire. It said Tuesday's death toll brought the number of aid seekers killed at aid sites in the Rafah governorate and the so-called Netzarim Corridor since GHF launched operations to 102, with 490 others injured. The United Nations on Monday demanded an independent investigation into the repeated mass shootings of aid seekers in Gaza. 'It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food,' said Secretary General Antonio Guterres. 'I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.' 'We heard from witnesses that there was chaos,' said Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary, reporting about Tuesday's killings from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. 'The Israeli forces just opened fire randomly, shooting Palestinians … using quadcopters and live ammunition.' Health Ministry officials and doctors said most of the wounded have been hit in their chest and head, she added. The bloodshed, she continued, had unfolded in the same way as on the previous two days, amid ongoing chaos around the aid distribution centres. 'There's no process. There's no system,' she said. 'You just need to run first to be able to get the food.' Rasha al-Nahal told The Associated Press news agency that 'there was gunfire from all directions', and that she saw more than a dozen people dead and several wounded on the road. When she finally made it to the distribution hub, there was no aid, al-Nahal said, adding that Israeli troops 'fired at us as we were returning'. Another witness, Neima al-Aaraj, from Khan Younis, described the shooting as 'indiscriminate'. 'I won't return,' she said. 'Either way, we will die.' The Israeli military, in its statement on Telegram, said troops had fired warning shots as people deviated from 'designated access routes' and 'after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced toward the troops'. However, it denied firing on civilians or blocking them from accessing aid. This account echoes statements around similar incidents on Sunday, when 31 aid seekers were reportedly killed, and on Monday, when three more were killed.
