International Demand for Investigation as Israeli Forces Fatally Shoot Three More Individuals Near Gaza Aid Facility; UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Advocates for Impartial Inquiry into Palmachim Incident
Israeli Forces Continue Deadly Assault on Aid-Seeking Palestinians
Once again, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians in Gaza, hunting down those attempting to secure humanitarian aid from a distribution site, leaving three dead and over 30 injured. The United Nations is urging an immediate independent investigation into the vicious cycle of mass shootings of aid-seekers in the occupied strip.
The violence erupted at sunrise on Monday, recurring at an Israeli-supported aid point in southern Gaza where soldiers had opened fire just the day prior, according to eyewitness accounts and health officials.
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Al Jazeera's Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, stated that Israeli soldiers targeted civilians without any prior warning as they desperately pleaded for food aid. This brutal pattern has been widely denounced by international aid organizations as it fuels the breakdown of civil order without ensuring humanitarian relief for those in dire need.
Witnesses recount that Israeli snipers and drones relentlessly patrol aid sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a venture backed by Israel and the U.S. A Red Cross field hospital received 50 wounded debris-laden survivors, including two who tragically lost their lives upon arrival. A third body was transported to Nasser Hospital in nearby Khan Younis.
Moataz al-Feirani, a 21-year-old survivor, recalled being shot in the leg while walking among thousands towards the food site. Surveillance drones circled overhead as the relentless shooting began near the Flag Roundabout.
The recurring pattern of bloodshed around the GHF aid distribution site has ignited mounting international outrage. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded an unbiased investigation into the killings of Palestinians, lamenting that they "risk their lives for food."
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In response, the Israeli military contends that its soldiers only discharged 'warning shots' at potential threats. However, the GHF—itself a subject of controversy—initially denied the shootings, only to face increasing doubts about its neutrality following the resignation of its founding executive director, Jake Wood, after questioning the organization's "impartiality" and "independence."
Critics allege that the GHF, in playing an integral role within Israel's broader strategy, is essentially a cover for the nation's broader mission to depopulate northern Gaza while focusing its aid distribution in the south.
Aid remains scarcely available in Gaza after Israel partially lifted its imposed siege that had thwarted the supply of food, water, fuel, and medicine to over two million people for more than two months. With thousands of children at risk of starvation, the situation remains dire.
More Casualties in Gaza
Elsewhere in Gaza, Israeli air assaults have continued, bombing residential areas across the territory. In Jabalia, in northern Gaza, Israeli forces killed 14 people, including seven children, in an attack on a home. Additionally, two more Palestinians died and several were injured in attacks in Deir el-Balah, while a drone assault in Khan Younis claimed yet another life. In the latest 24-hour reporting period alone, over 50 Palestinians have been killed and more than 500 injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza.
Despite international condemnation, Israel has ordered the displacement of more civilians from Khan Younis, vowing to take an aggressive stance if necessary. Approximately 80% of the territory is currently either under Israeli military control or earmarked for displacement, as the 2.3 million residents are forced to reside in a ever-shrinking patch of land in southern Gaza near the Egyptian border.
Israel has made no secret of its intentions to permanently displace Gaza's population; officials openly promote "voluntary migration" plans. The Financial Times revealed that the areas Palestinians are being displaced to resemble a desolate wasteland, devoid of essential utilities such as running water, electricity, or hospitals. Satellite images document Israeli forces clearing and fortifying lands in evacuated areas, confirming the trend's quickening pace since the collapse of the truce in March.
"The Israeli government has been blatant with its intentions in Gaza," acknowledged political analyst Xavier Abu Eid. "It is about ethnic cleansing."
- The United Nations' call for an investigation into the deadly assault on Palestinians in Gaza is gaining more weight, as the continuous war-and-conflicts in the region only serve to worsen the general-news situation.
- The recent breaking news about the Israeli forces' violence towards aid-seeking Palestinians has sparked strong opinions worldwide, with many viewing it as a violent and inhumane act in the realm of politics.
- As the crimes-and-justice committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians persist, the urgency for an unbiased investigation grows, particularly in light of the repeated attacks on aid sites like the one run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
- The ongoing war in Gaza continues to claim lives, with Israeli forces bombing residential areas and firing at civilians in desperate need of humanitarian aid, exacerbating the already dire state of health and well-being among the affected population.
