Israeli attacks kill Palestinians at water distribution point
Gaza’s Civil Defence agency says Israeli air strikes have killed at least 27 Palestinians today, including 10 near a water distribution point.
Civil Defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told the AFP news agency that houses and shelters for displaced people were among the targets hit overnight.
Palestinians sit in the rubble of a house after an overnight Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 13
Palestinians in Gaza seek GHF aid because it is the only option
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation [GHF] is running this monopoly of humanitarian aid distribution and has pushed aside all the other efficient, more organised and more trusted organisations.
Nearly 800 people have been killed while waiting for food parcels.
A person can pick up a food parcel for their family, but that is not nearly enough to feed hungry children and hungry family members, and that’s the tragedy.
People are forced to make these dangerous trips from northern Gaza, from Gaza City, all the way to Rafah city. They walk for 12 to 15km [7.5 to 9 miles], and it takes them a whole day. Some do that at night, sleeping inside bombed-out buildings, to get there as early as possible.
Despite all of these efforts to get there as early as possible, they are met with live ammunition and deliberate shooting by Israeli forces.
Market in Gaza City hit in deadly Israeli attack
Our colleagues on the ground are reporting that drones have targeted a group of Palestinians at a public market in Gaza, killing at least a dozen people and wounding many more.
Dr Ahmad Qandeel, a general surgery consultant working at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, was killed in the attack.
Palestinians receive medical treatment at al-Awda Hospital after an attack on a water refill point belonging to displaced Palestinians in the ‘New Camp’ area northwest of the Nuseirat camp, killing 10 people, including six children
Israeli blockade, attacks affect water supply in Gaza
As we’ve been reporting, an Israeli attack has hit a water distribution centre in Gaza. At least 10 people have been killed in the attack. A crowd of people was at the site in Nuseirat when a drone fired a missile with at least six children among those killed.
People have been directly targeted several times in the past few months while trying to get water. Just 10 days ago, there was a small desalination plant serving as a place for the displaced which was bombed as well.
Much of the water infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed by Israel, which also leads to many diseases and hygiene problems. Dozens of water sources, including wells and reservoirs, have been systematically ruined by the Israeli army, leaving many areas uninhabitable.
Water supplies have been cut to most of Gaza City. The municipality says dangerous conditions mean it can’t get to water mains or wells. Tens of thousands of people are without access to any water.
“We wait at the water plant for at least four hours because production is so slow. Whatever we get, we hand out at displacement camps. As you know, they’re overwhelmed,” Ahmed Abed said. “People line up for hours from dawn, but many leave empty-handed.”
Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili, reporting from Gaza City, said: “Soon, even this may not be possible. Israel has blocked almost all fuel deliveries from entering Gaza since March 2. The shortage is threatening to halt operations at desalination plants, sewage treatment facilities and water delivery trucks.”
UN warns Gaza fuel shortage pushing aid response to brink of collapse
In a joint statement, eight UN agencies have warned that Gaza’s worsening fuel shortage is threatening to shut down critical humanitarian operations.
UNICEF, WHO, WFP, UNRWA, UNFPA, UNDP, OCHA, and UNOPS said without immediate fuel deliveries, essential services – including hospitals, water desalination, food distribution, and sanitation – could come to a halt.
“Without fuel, these lifelines will vanish for 2.1 million people,” the statement read, adding that hospitals are “already going dark”.
“Fuel must be allowed into Gaza in sufficient quantities and consistently to sustain life-saving operations.”
