Israel-Hamas war, Gaza genocide

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UN condemns Israel’s ‘militarised’ aid mechanism in Gaza

The UN’s human rights office (OHCHR) has joined the chorus of concern over the Israeli killings of Palestinian aid seekers at the GHF sites in southern Rafah and near the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza.

It said the killings on Sunday follow multiple reports of deadly attacks at the sites between May 27 and 31, which killed at least 19 Palestinians and wounded 80 others.

The office stressed “once more that Israel’s militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism violates international standards on aid distribution, endangers civilians, and is contributing to the catastrophic situation in Gaza”.

It added, “The weaponisation of food for civilians and restricting or preventing their access to other life sustaining services constitute a war crime and may constitute elements of other international crimes, including genocide.”

Three aid seekers killed in Rafah: Gaza Media Office

At least three “starving civilians” have been killed and 35 others injured near a US-backed aid distribution centre in southern Gaza’s Rafah area, the enclave’s Government Media Office confirmed.

The latest Israeli violence against aid seekers has brought the total number of people killed in Rafah and the so-called Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza while waiting for food to 52, since Israel’s new aid mechanism started operations on May 27, the statement said.

The office added that at least 340 people were injured since that date.

Israel continues “the policy of starvation and systematic targeting of civilians for 93 days”, the statement said.

GHF claims to have distributed aid in Rafah ‘without incident’

Without addressing the reports of three killings and dozens of injuries among aid seekers near its facility, Israel’s US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation claimed to have handed out thousands of aid boxes in southern Gaza’s Rafah area “without incident”.

The GHF statement cited by The Times of Israel newspaper, said that “21 truckloads of food”, or 18,720 boxes, were handed out to aid seekers in the first two hours after the Rafah aid distribution site opened today.

“Operations … were once again smooth and no security incidents occurred. Aid was distributed without incident despite ongoing acute needs in the Strip,” GHF claimed.

WFP chief warns Gaza could be humanitarian catastrophe ‘like none other’

Cindy McCain, the executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP), has urged the Israeli government to grant the UN agency access to the Gaza Strip “so we can do our job”.

“What we need right now is an immediate ceasefire, complete unfettered access [and] every gate open to feed people and stop this catastrophe from happening,” McCain told the US broadcaster ABC News.

“If we don’t do that, it’s going to be a humanitarian catastrophe… like none other.”

McCain also confirmed reports that Israeli forces have killed at least 31 Palestinians who were seeking food aid at the GHF point in Rafah on Sunday. “Our people are reporting the same thing on the ground. It’s a tragedy,” she said.