3 reported killed, dozens wounded at aid site in Gaza
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A Palestinian mother pictured following an Israeli strike on a mosque in central Gaza.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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CAIRO – Israeli fire killed at least three people and wounded dozens of others near an aid distribution site operated by the US-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), Gaza’s health authorities said on June 2.
The Israeli military said it was aware of reports of casualties, and the incident was being thoroughly looked into.
It said in a statement that troops operating overnight in Rafah, which is under full Israeli military control, in southern Gaza, fired warning shots “to prevent several suspects approaching them”, adding the incident took place about 1km away from the aid distribution site.
The GHF, a private group sponsored by the US and endorsed by Israel, said there were no fatalities or injuries at its distribution site or the surrounding area.
Reuters could not independently verify what took place.
The reported incident was the latest in a series underscoring the volatile security situation that has complicated aid delivery to Gaza, following the easing in May of an almost three-month Israeli blockade.
On June 1, Palestinian and international officials said at least 31 people were killed
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on June 2 he was appalled by reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza on June 1, and called for an independent investigation.
The Israeli military denied firing at people gathering to collect aid, and the GHF said the distribution was carried out without incident, describing reports of deaths as fabricated by Hamas.
In an update earlier on June 2, the GHF said it has distributed the load of 21 trucks to Palestinians. It added that the deliveries raised the number of meals it has distributed since it began operations to nearly six million.
The GHF launched its first distribution sites last week and said it would launch more. The Israeli military has said GHF has established four sites so far.
Its aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the UN and humanitarian organisations, which say the GHF does not follow humanitarian principles.
On June 2, the Palestinian NGOs Network urged a boycott of what it called the “US-Israeli aid mechanism” in protest against the killings on June 1.
It said the new mechanism has deepened the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and aimed to “bolster the occupation’s security and political goals” in pushing Palestinians out of northern Gaza towards the south.
At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, relatives of Mr Hussam Wafi, a 37-year-old father of six, who was killed near the aid site on June 1, arrived to pay their last respects before his burial.
Mr Wafi’s brother Ali said the victims were driven by hunger.
“The US and Israel, what do they tell us? Go and get your food and water, and the aid. When the aid arrives, they hit us. Is this fair?” Mr Ali Wafi told Reuters.
“They were going peacefully. They were killed. They went to get food and water for their children, to get a can of hummus or fava beans, a box or whatever is available, and they get shot. They died,” he said.
Ceasefire talks to resume
Israel and Hamas, meanwhile, traded blame for the faltering of a new Arab and US mediation bid to secure a temporary ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas, in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli jails.
Hamas said on May 31 it was seeking amendments
Egypt and Qatar said in a joint statement they were continuing efforts to overcome disagreements and reach a ceasefire.
Hamas on June 1 welcomed those efforts and expressed its readiness to start a round of indirect negotiations immediately.
On June 2, a Palestinian official close to the mediation effort said Hamas leaders were in constant contact with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo and Doha, hoping they could pressure Israel to agree to holding talks on ending the war in Gaza as part of the ceasefire deal.
Israel says it accepts a temporary truce to release hostages, but that war can end only once Hamas is driven out of Gaza.
Israel began its offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel
Israel’s campaign has devastated much of Gaza, killing more than 54,000 people and destroying most buildings. Much of the population now lives in shelters in makeshift camps.
