GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defence agency reported on Saturday that Israeli fire killed 39 people and wounded over 100 near two aid centres in southern Gaza. The deaths occurred near Khan Yunis and Rafah, with witnesses describing chaotic scenes as civilians sought food amid gunfire.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal attributed the fatalities to “Israeli gunfire.” One witness, Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, told AFP he and his relatives went to Al-Tina in Khan Yunis before dawn but only encountered bullets instead of food. Three other witnesses also accused Israeli troops of opening fire.
The Israeli military responded by stating it had identified “suspects” approaching troops in Rafah, posing a threat. Soldiers fired warning shots after calls to turn back were ignored, the military said, adding the incident was under review. The GHF, now the main aid distributor in Gaza, denied reports of deaths near its sites, urging people not to gather overnight.
Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on a house near Nuseirat in central Gaza killed 12, according to the civil defence. The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, has left Gaza in dire humanitarian conditions, with severe malnutrition and aid blockades worsening the crisis.
The UNRWA said it had enough food stockpiled for three months but faced delivery restrictions. Hamas demands unrestricted aid flow and an Israeli withdrawal in ceasefire talks. – AFP
