In Cairo, Israeli forces have been reported to have caused the deaths of a minimum of 22 individuals and injuries to 20 others on Monday. The incidents occurred as numerous people were seeking essential food supplies in southern Gaza, with reports coming from witnesses, Gaza’s Health Ministry, and local hospitals.
According to information released by Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, they handled the casualties of 11 individuals who were shot while on their way back from a distribution point connected to the Gaza Humanitarian Fund, supported by Israel and the U.S. This grim event is part of a concerning trend that has resulted in the deaths of over 500 Palestinians in the past month during the distribution of aid, which has stirred controversy in the region. Additionally, ten more individuals lost their lives at a United Nations facility in the northern region of Gaza, as confirmed by the Health Ministry.
The tragic incident in southern Gaza transpired approximately 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) away from the Gaza Humanitarian Fund station in Khan Younis as individuals were returning from the distribution center using one of the few available routes. Due to the limited accessibility, Palestinians often have to undertake long journeys to reach the GHF locations in the hopes of receiving vital assistance.
Witnesses recount firings by troops
Yousef Mahmoud Mokheimar was walking along with dozens others when he saw troops in vehicles and tanks racing toward them. At the beginning they fired warning shots in air, before firing at the crowds, he said.
“They fired at us indiscriminately,” he said, adding that he was shot in his leg, and a man was also shot while attempting to rescue him.
He said he saw troops detaining six people, including three children, and it wasn’t clear what happened to them. “We don’t know whether they are still alive,” he said.
Monzer Hisham Ismail, another witness, said troops attacked the crowds while returning from the GHF hub in eastern Khan Younis.
“We were returning from the American aid hub … we were targeted by (the Israeli) artillery,” he said.
Nasser Hospital said another person was killed near a GHF hub in the southern city of Rafah.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing information about the attacks. In the past, the military has said it fires warning shots at people who move suspiciously or get too close to troops, including while collecting aid.
Israel wants the GHF to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups. Along with the United States, Israel has accused the militant Hamas group of stealing aid and using it to prop up its rule in the enclave. The U.N. denies there is systematic diversion of aid.
The Israeli military said it had recently taken steps to improve organization in the area, including the installation of new fencing, signage and the opening of additional routes to access aid.
Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, accusing the militants of hiding among civilians because they operate in populated areas.
Strikes in and around Gaza City intensify
In northern Gaza, at least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on an aid warehouse in Gaza City, according to the Health Ministry’s ambulance and emergency service. It wasn’t immediately clear whether there was aid at the warehouse.
The strike in Gaza City came as the military intensified its bombardment campaign across the city and the nearby Jabaliya refugee camp. On Sunday and Monday, Israel issued widespread evacuation orders for large swaths of northern Gaza.
Palestinians reported massive bombing overnight into Monday morning, describing the fresh attacks as a “scorched earth” campaign that targeted mostly empty buildings and civilian infrastructure above the ground.
“They destroy whatever left standing … the sound of bombing hasn’t stopped,” said Mohamed Mahdy, a Gaza City resident who fled his damaged house Monday morning.
Fares Awad, head of the Health Ministry’s emergency and ambulance services in northern Gaza, said that most of Gaza City and Jabaliya have become inaccessible and ambulances were unable to respond to distress calls from people trapped in the rubble.
The Israeli military said it had taken multiple steps to notify civilians of operations to target Hamas’ military command and control centers in northern Gaza.
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Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.
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