Violence at Gaza aid sites intended to break support for Hamas
The routine deadly violence at aid distribution hubs in Gaza, run by the shadowy Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), serves the long-term military goals of Israel and the US, a security expert has told Al Jazeera.
Muhanad Seloom, assistant professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, said the suffering being heaped on the Palestinians in Gaza is intended to break their support for Hamas.
“They’re putting a lot of pressure on the Palestinians in Gaza,” Seloom said. “They want to starve the population so that this population stops supporting Hamas.
“This is an old tactic… a tactic of war.”
Palestinians gather at a GHF distribution point near Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza
Victims stuck under the rubble after deadly Israeli strike on Gaza City
The Israeli army targeted a home belonging to a family east of Gaza City, burying Palestinians under the rubble, according to Mahmoud Basal, an officer with the Palestinian Civil Defence.
“It was a four-storey building, and the upper three floors were struck directly. This home sheltered around 60 civilians, so far 20 have been rescued or pulled from the rubble, most of whom are children and women,” he told Al Jazeera from a field hospital where the victims are being treated.
He said at least four people have been confirmed killed so far, among them children no older than five.
“The rescue teams lack the capacity to respond to the scale of the destruction, especially in areas east of Gaza City. The Israeli occupation targets anyone who approaches these areas directly. Our appeal is clear: Civil Defence teams must be allowed to work freely without harm to their lives.”
