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Israeli troops opened fire on Saturday towards crowds of Palestinians seeking food at a distribution point run by an Israeli-backed US company in southern Gaza, killing at least 32 Palestinians, according to witnesses and local health officials.
In a separate incident, at least 18 more Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strikes on Gaza City in the north of the enclave. The attacks occurred near hubs operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF).
The Israeli military did not immediately react to reports of the two incidents.
The GHF launched operations in late May with backing from the US and Israel. The two governments launched the initiative in a bid to replace the traditional UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, after repeated accusations of Hamas militants stealing supplies.
The Delaware-based GHF says it has distributed millions of meals to hungry Palestinians in its just over two months of operations. Local health officials and witnesses say hundreds of Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops as they attempted to reach the distribution points.
The Israeli army, as per an agreement with Washington, is not permitted physical presence at the GHF sites, but does work to secure the facilities from a distance. Israel says it only fires “warning shots” if Palestinians get too close to their forces.
The GHF, which employs private armed guards to secure its sites, says there have been no deadly shootings on their campuses.
Earlier this week, 20 Palestinians were killed at a GHF site near Khan Younis, most of them in a stampede, in what was the first public recognition of fatalities at the US-led operation.
Witnesses say the stampede occurred after a security forces deployed tear gas and stun grenades on the crowds of people lined up, inciting panic.
Most of Saturday’s deaths occurred as Palestinians massed in the Teina area, around three kilometres from the GHF aid site east of the city of Khan Younis.
Mahmoud Mokeimar, an eyewitness, said he was walking with masses of people — mostly young men — towards the food hub. Troops fired warning shots as the crowds advanced, before opening fire toward the marching people, he said.
“It was a massacre, the occupation opened fire at us indiscriminately.” Mokeimar noted that he managed to flee but saw at least three motionless bodies lying on the ground, and many others fleeing who’ve been wounded.
Akram Aker, another witness, said troops fired machine guns mounted on tanks and drones. He said the shooting happened between 5 and 6 am local time. “They encircled us and started firing directly at us,” he said.
Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry says the bodies of the 32 victims were transferred to the Nasser hospital. 70 others who has sustained injuries of various degrees were also admitted at the hospital.
The latest attacks come as Palestinian students are scheduled to sit exams for the first time since Israel launched its offensive on the enclave more than 21 months ago. Some 1,500 students are set to complete their examinations on Saturday, in hopes of entering university.
The death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 58,500 according to the health ministry. It’s figures do not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties, though deaths verified by the UN indicated that two-thirds of those killed were women and children.
Israel’s war on Gaza has began over 21 months ago, after Hamas fighters staged an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people on 7 October, 2023.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he’s not prepared to end the war until all of Israel’s objectives are realised; the destruction, dissolution, disarmament and exile of Hamas.
Additional sources • AP
