KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded on Sunday in a shooting near Israeli- and U.S.-supported food distribution points in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials.
Witnesses blamed the Israeli military, which did not immediately comment.
Witnesses said Israeli forces opened fire around dawn toward crowds of desperate Palestinians heading to two aid sites in the southern city of Rafah.
The vast majority rely on international aid because the offensive has destroyed nearly all of Gaza’s capacity to produce food.
Two are in the southernmost city of Rafah — now mostly uninhabited — and all three are in Israeli military zones that are off limits to independent media.
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — On Sunday, a shooting near Israeli and American targets killed at least eight Palestinians and injured dozens more. S. Health authorities say they backed food distribution centers in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military, which did not immediately respond, was blamed by witnesses.
According to witnesses, Israeli forces started shooting at groups of frantic Palestinians en route to two relief locations in the southern city of Rafah at around dawn.
Israel’s military campaign and months-long blockade have increased the risk of famine and caused widespread hunger in the country’s population of over 2 million, according to experts and aid workers. Due to the offensive’s destruction of almost all of Gaza’s food production capacity, the vast majority are dependent on foreign assistance.
Over two decades after Hamas’ October invasion, the war in Gaza continues to heat up. attack in 2023, which set off a series of events that played a part in Israel’s surprise strike on Iran on Friday.
The shooting on Sunday took place near the locations run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which Israel and the US hope will take the place of a UN-run aid distribution system that has rejected the initiative, claiming it is against humanitarian principles.
Since they opened last month, shootings have been occurring close to the locations almost every day. Health officials report scores of people have been killed, while witnesses claim Israeli forces have fired on crowds on multiple occasions. The military has admitted to firing warning shots at alleged suspects who were advancing on its troops.
“There were martyrs, dead, and wounded,” Ahmed al-Masri told The Associated Press on Sunday after finding nothing at one location. “It is a trap.”. “..”.
In the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, Umm Hosni al-Najjar reported that she joined the group of people making their way to the aid point at approximately 4:30 a.m. M. A few minutes after her arrival, she claimed, the shooting started as people were moving toward the scene.
According to her, “there were many wounded and martyrs.”. “They could not be evacuated by anyone. “..”.
After the shooting, eight bodies were reported to the Nasser Hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis.
Overall, 65 people killed by Israeli strikes or gunfire have had their bodies transported to hospitals over the past 24 hours, according to a statement released by Gaza’s Health Ministry on Sunday.
There has been violence and chaos in the aid system that was implemented last month, while the U. “N.”. Even though Israel lifted a complete blockade it imposed from early March to mid-May, the system has had trouble delivering food due to Israeli restrictions and a breakdown in law and order.
The United States and Israel. S. assert that Hamas has embezzled U.S. aid. N. system that is run by U. N. . Officials claim that no proof of systematic diversion exists. The U. “N.”. claims that the new system fails to address Gaza’s needs, gives Israel the power to decide who receives aid, and runs the risk of causing more mass displacement as people approach the locations.
The three are in Israeli military areas that are closed to independent media, and two are in the now largely deserted southern city of Rafah.
There hasn’t been any violence in or near the distribution locations, according to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. It has advised people to stick to approved routes and recently stopped deliveries to talk with the military about safety precautions.
The war was initiated by Hamas with its Oct. 7 strike on southern Israel, in which Palestinian militants captured 251 hostages and killed about 1,200 people, primarily civilians. Although the majority of the remaining hostages were freed through ceasefire agreements or other agreements, the militants still hold 53 hostages, less than half of whom are still alive.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that more than 55,300 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s military campaign. It claims that the majority of the dead are women and children, but it makes no distinction between combatants and civilians. Israel claims to have killed over 20,000 militants, but it offers no supporting documentation.
The conflict has displaced nearly 90% of Gaza’s population, frequently on several occasions, and destroyed large swaths of the territory.
