Israel is preparing to “conquer” and “clear” everything in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to “take over” Gaza and move civilians south.
As Hamas and Israel exchanged responsibility for their lax efforts to ensure a ceasefire, local health officials said an Israeli attack was killed near aid distribution point run by a US civilian-center group, where at least 31 people were killed in Gaza on June 1.
The incident in Rafa, south of the enclave, was the latest in a series highlighting the volatile security situation with complex aid to Gaza, following the easing of Israel’s lockdowns last month almost three months.
“There are martyrs and injuries. A lot of injuries. This is a tragic situation in this place. I would encourage them to go to the point of assistance. That’s enough.
Palestinian red crescent moon, who belongs to the International Red Cross, said the medical team recovered the bodies of 23 Palestinians and treated 23 more injured people near Rafa’s aid collection site. The US-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation operates an aid distribution site in Rafa.
Red Crescent also reported that 14 Palestinians were injured near another site in central Gaza. GHF also operates aid distribution site for Central Gaza.
Previously, media affiliated with Palestinian news agency WAFA and Hamas have brought the death toll to 30. Local health officials said at least 31 people have arrived at Nasser Hospital so far.
Israeli forces said in a statement that they are considering reports that Palestinians were shot dead at the scene of aid distribution but were unaware of injuries caused by the military fire. The GHF denied that everyone was murdered or injured near the Rafa site, and that the distribution was all done without any problems.
The US company accused Hamas of producing “fake reports.”
Residents and hygienists said Israeli soldiers fired from the ground with a nearby crane, and as they looked down at the area, tanks fired at thousands of people along the way to receive assistance from Rafa’s property. Reuters footage showed an ambulance vehicle carrying the injured to Nasser Hospital.
The Hamas-Run Gaza Government Media Office said Israel has turned its distribution site for people seeking assistance into a “death trap.”
“We assert that what is happening is the intentional and malicious use of aid as a ‘weapon of war’ and the intentional and malicious use of aid adopted to misuse hungry civilians and to force them to gather in exposed killing zones controlled and monitored by Israeli forces.”
Leda Abu Jazar said his brother was killed while waiting to collect food at Rafa’s Aid Distribution Center. “Let them stop these massacres and stop this genocide. They’re killing us,” she said.
Arafat Siyam said his brother left at 11pm the night before and collected food for his wife and eight children from the same distribution site in Rafa, South Gaza.
Siyam accused the Israeli army of killing their brothers.
“This is unfair. What they’re doing is unfair,” he said.
GHF is a US-based entity supported by the US and Israeli governments providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza, bypassing traditional relief groups. There are three sites that began work in Gaza last month and have attracted thousands of people help.
The GHF has been widely criticized by the international community, with UN officials saying its aid programme would only force the relocation of Palestinians and more violence.
The group’s executive director resigned in May, citing what he said was a lack of substance independence and neutrality. It is not clear who is funding the company.
Israeli officials say Palestinians gathering aid will be screened to rule out those associated with Hamas.
Certain fire speaks to Falter
Sunday’s incident came when Israel and Hamas traded flams of new Arab-US mediation bids in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons in exchange for Hamas’ Palestinians.
Hamas on Saturday called for an amendment to the US-backed ceasefire proposal, but President Donald Trump’s envoy rejected the group’s response, saying it was “completely unacceptable.”
Palestinian extremist groups said they were willing to release 10 living hostages and hand over 18 bodies in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. However, Hamas repeatedly demanded that Israel’s rejected conditions for the end of the Israeli army’s war from Gaza and withdrawal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government agreed to Witkov’s overview.
Israel launched an attack in Gaza on October 7, 2023 in response to a Hamas-led attack on communities in southern Israel. According to Israeli tally, 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were filmed as hostages in Gaza.
Israeli campaigns have devastated much of Gaza, killed more than 54,000 Palestinians and destroyed most buildings. Today, much of the population lives in makeshift camp shelters. Gaza health officials report that most of the deaths are civilians, but the number of militants killed remains unknown.
(Reporting by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Ali Sawaftta, and Jaida Taa Taa Taa; Additional reporting by Gaza Hatem Khaled; Editing by William MacLean’s Clarence Fernandez)
