Palestinians say Israeli fire kills 12 near aid sites. Israel says it
fired warning shots
[June 09, 2025]
By WAFAA SHURAFA and KAREEM CHEHAYEB
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli fire killed at least 12 people
and wounded others as they headed toward two aid distribution points in
the Gaza Strip run by an Israeli and U.S.-backed group, Palestinian
health officials and witnesses said Sunday. Israel's military said it
fired warning shots at people who approached its forces.
The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where
thousands of Palestinians — desperate after 20 months of war — are being
directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have
opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza
hospital officials.
In all, at least 108 bodies were brought to hospitals in Gaza over the
past 24 hours, the territory's Health Ministry said. Israel’s military
said it struck dozens of militant targets throughout Gaza over the past
day.
Eleven of the latest bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in the
southern city of Khan Younis. Palestinian witnesses said Israeli forces
fired on some at a roundabout around a kilometer (half-mile) from a site
run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or GHF, in nearby Rafah.
Israel's military said it fired warning shots at approaching “suspects”
who ignored warnings to turn away. It said the shooting happened in an
area that is considered an active combat zone at night.
Al-Awda Hospital said it received the body of a man and 29 people who
were wounded near another GHF aid distribution point in central Gaza.
The military said it fired warning shots in the area at around 6:40
a.m., but didn't see any casualties.
A GHF official said there was no violence in or around its distribution
sites, all three of which delivered aid on Sunday. The group closed them
temporarily last week to discuss safety measures with Israel's military
and has warned people to stay on designated access routes. The official
spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
The new aid hubs are set up inside Israeli military zones where
independent media have no access. The GHF also said it was piloting
direct delivery to a community north of Rafah.
Witnesses fear for their safety
Witnesses said the first shootings in southern Gaza took place at around
6 a.m., when they were told the site would open. Many headed toward it
early, seeking desperately needed food before crowds arrived.
Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on
international aid because nearly all food production capabilities have
been destroyed.
Adham Dahman, who was at Nasser Hospital with a bandage on his chin,
said a tank fired toward them.
“We didn’t know how to escape," he said. "This is trap for us, not aid.”
Zahed Ben Hassan said someone next to him was shot in the head.
“They said it was a safe area from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. ... So why did
they start shooting at us?” he said. “There was light out, and they have
their cameras and can clearly see us.”
The military announced on Friday that the sites would be open during
those hours, and the areas would be a closed military zone the rest of
the time.
Children cried over their father's body at the hospital.
[to top of second column]
|
Palestinians carry bags containing food and humanitarian aid
packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a
U.S.-backed organization, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday,
June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
“I can’t see you like this, Dad!” one girl said.
Aid distributed inside Israeli military zones
The new aid hubs are run by GHF, a new group of mainly American
contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the
United Nations and international aid groups.
Israel and the United States accuse the Hamas militant group of
stealing aid. The U.N. denies there is systematic diversion. The
U.N. says the new system is unable to meet mounting needs, allows
Israel to use aid as a weapon by determining who can receive it and
forces people to relocate to where aid sites are positioned.
The U.N. system has struggled to deliver aid, even after Israel
eased its blockade of Gaza last month. U.N. officials say their
efforts are hindered by Israeli military restrictions, the breakdown
of law and order and widespread looting.
Experts warned earlier this year that Gaza was at critical risk of
famine, if Israel didn't lift its blockade and halt its military
campaign. Both were renewed in March.
Israeli officials have said the offensive will continue until all
hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent
into exile.
Israel says it identified Hamas chief Mohammed Sinwar's body
On Sunday, Israel's military invited journalists into Khan Younis to
show a tunnel under the European Hospital, saying they found the
body of Mohammed Sinwar, the head of Hamas' armed wing, there after
he was killed last month. Israel has barred international
journalists from entering Gaza independently since the war began.
“(Israeli forces) would prefer not to hit or target hospitals,” army
spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said. Sinwar's body was found
in a room under the hospital's emergency room, Defrin said.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return
for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli
withdrawal from Gaza. Talks mediated by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar
have been deadlocked for months.
Hamas started the war with its attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7,
2023, when Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly
civilians, and took another 251 hostage. They still hold 55
hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were
released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,800 Palestinians,
according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It says women and children make
up most of the dead, but doesn't say how many civilians or
combatants were killed. Israel says it has killed more than 20,000
militants, without providing evidence.
The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of
its population.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
