Urgent calls for improved safety measures as investigations into recent fatalities are underway.
Dozens Dead as Palestinians Struggle for Aid in Gaza
Dozens Dead as Palestinians Struggle for Aid in Gaza
Tragic incidents highlight the perilous conditions facing civilians during humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
In a devastating turn of events, Palestinian hospitals report that dozens have lost their lives while desperately seeking aid in the besieged region of Gaza. Accounts from medical facilities, including Al-Shifa hospital, indicate that at least 25 individuals were killed overnight near a convoy delivering flour and essential supplies, organized by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). This occurred in the highly contested Netzarim corridor, an area labeled as an Israeli military zone.
The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency accuses Israeli forces of opening fire on the crowds, with additional reports suggesting that some individuals were crushed by lorries amid the chaos. The Israeli military contends that soldiers issued warning shots to deter approaching suspects. Official accounts report six additional fatalities due to Israeli gunfire near another GHF site located in Rafah, with officials from Nasser hospital in Khan Younis confirming these incidents. The Israeli military asserts it is investigating the claims related to Rafah.
The GHF claimed that over 43,000 food parcels were successfully distributed at its sites in Rafah and central Gaza without any incidents reported on Wednesday. However, tensions have escalated since the GHF commenced its aid operations on May 26, with multiple deadly occurrences linked to its new system almost daily. According to Gaza's Hamas-controlled health ministry, the total number of fatalities related to access to aid distribution zones has surged to 223, with an alarming 1,858 injuries reported in just the past two weeks.
The GHF aims to navigate around the United Nations, which has been a significant supplier of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, in a bid to ensure that aid reaches the desperately needy without being appropriated by Hamas. However, the UN and several other humanitarian organizations have voiced their refusal to collaborate with this newly implemented system, citing blatant violations of established humanitarian principles, including neutrality and independence. The dire conditions in Gaza have led to warnings about widespread hunger, a crisis compounded by an extensive Israeli blockade that began to ease only three weeks ago after a nearly three-month period of stringent restrictions.
In response to the outbreak of violence following a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, which claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 hostages, the Israeli military has intensified its operations in Gaza. According to the Gaza health ministry, the death toll has exceeded 55,104 since hostilities escalated, painting a grim picture of the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the challenges faced by the population of 2.1 million as they strive to survive amidst violence and famine.
The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency accuses Israeli forces of opening fire on the crowds, with additional reports suggesting that some individuals were crushed by lorries amid the chaos. The Israeli military contends that soldiers issued warning shots to deter approaching suspects. Official accounts report six additional fatalities due to Israeli gunfire near another GHF site located in Rafah, with officials from Nasser hospital in Khan Younis confirming these incidents. The Israeli military asserts it is investigating the claims related to Rafah.
The GHF claimed that over 43,000 food parcels were successfully distributed at its sites in Rafah and central Gaza without any incidents reported on Wednesday. However, tensions have escalated since the GHF commenced its aid operations on May 26, with multiple deadly occurrences linked to its new system almost daily. According to Gaza's Hamas-controlled health ministry, the total number of fatalities related to access to aid distribution zones has surged to 223, with an alarming 1,858 injuries reported in just the past two weeks.
The GHF aims to navigate around the United Nations, which has been a significant supplier of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, in a bid to ensure that aid reaches the desperately needy without being appropriated by Hamas. However, the UN and several other humanitarian organizations have voiced their refusal to collaborate with this newly implemented system, citing blatant violations of established humanitarian principles, including neutrality and independence. The dire conditions in Gaza have led to warnings about widespread hunger, a crisis compounded by an extensive Israeli blockade that began to ease only three weeks ago after a nearly three-month period of stringent restrictions.
In response to the outbreak of violence following a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, which claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 hostages, the Israeli military has intensified its operations in Gaza. According to the Gaza health ministry, the death toll has exceeded 55,104 since hostilities escalated, painting a grim picture of the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the challenges faced by the population of 2.1 million as they strive to survive amidst violence and famine.
