GAZA: At least 43 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, medical sources report, as a controversial aid group backed by the United States and Israel prepares to reopen two distribution centres after a brief suspension.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announced on Thursday that it would resume limited operations, reopening two aid centres in Rafah following a full-day closure attributed to “maintenance and repair work.” The group urged Palestinians to follow access routes designated by the Israeli military, which has warned that areas surrounding the centres could be treated as combat zones.
The GHF’s temporary closure followed multiple deadly incidents in recent days, in which Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on Palestinians attempting to access aid. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 27 people were killed and around 90 wounded early Tuesday near a GHF site in Rafah. Similar incidents occurred on Sunday and Monday, with more than 60 reported deaths and hundreds injured.
The Israeli military has denied targeting civilians at the distribution sites, claiming soldiers only used warning shots against individuals not adhering to designated access routes or those posing a perceived threat. GHF has also dismissed reports of mass casualties at its facilities as “outright fabrications.”
However, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed receiving 179 casualties from Sunday’s attack alone, with 21 declared dead on arrival. The organisation noted that women and children were among the victims, most suffering gunshot or shrapnel wounds.
The intensifying violence has sparked international condemnation. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an independent investigation into the killings of aid seekers, demanding that those responsible be held accountable. The United Kingdom echoed the call, with Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer describing the incidents as “deeply disturbing” and criticising Israel’s aid delivery mechanisms as “inhumane.”
In a separate attack on Thursday, an Israeli drone strike on the Al Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City killed at least seven people, including four journalists, according to local medical sources. The deaths bring the total number of journalists killed since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign in October 2023 to 224, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.
Meanwhile, Israel’s offensive across the Gaza Strip continues unabated. Civil Defence authorities reported at least 48 deaths on Wednesday, including 18 people killed in a strike on a tent sheltering displaced families in Khan Younis.
The Israeli military has also confirmed the recovery of the bodies of two hostages taken during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. The remains were found in Khan Younis, bringing renewed attention to the estimated 56 captives still believed to be held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are thought to be alive.
Since the beginning of the war, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that 54,418 Palestinians have been killed and 124,190 wounded. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with aid operations repeatedly disrupted and mass casualty events becoming increasingly frequent.
