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Jun
AT LEAST 31 KILLED, 170 WOUNDED IN GAZA AID SITE INCIDENT
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CapitalTimesNews / 1 month
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- 2 min read
At least 31 people were killed and over 170 wounded on Sunday while trying to receive food at a new aid site in the Gaza Strip. Witnesses claim Israeli forces fired on crowds around a kilometer away from the site, while Israel’s military says its forces did not fire at civilians near or within the site. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, promoted by Israel and the US, distributed 16 truckloads of aid early Sunday, saying it did so “without incident.” However, witnesses and health officials paint a different picture. “There was fire from all directions, from naval warships, from tanks and drones,” said Amr Abu Teiba, who was in the crowd. Dr. Marwan al-Hams, a health ministry official at Nasser Hospital, said most people were shot in the upper part of their bodies, including the head, neck, and chest. “The scene was horrible,” Abu Teiba added. The incident has sparked outrage, with Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, saying, “Aid distribution has become a death trap.” The UN and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, citing humanitarian principles and concerns over Israeli control. Israel and the US claim the new system aims to prevent Hamas from siphoning off assistance, but the UN denies systematic diversion has occurred. Jonathan Whittall, interim head in Gaza of the UN humanitarian office, described the situation as “engineered scarcity.” The conflict has led to significant humanitarian concerns, with experts warning that Gaza is at risk of famine if more aid is not brought in. The war, which began with Hamas-led militants storming into southern Israel, has killed over 54,000 people, mostly women and children, and displaced around 90% of the population. “This is sinful, enough with the humiliation,” said Ilham Jarghon, a Palestinian, as fellow Palestinians wept and prayed for the dead. Ceasefire talks have stalled, with Hamas seeking amendments to a US proposal that Israel has approved, and the US envoy calling those amendments “unacceptable.”