Four dead as Israeli military bombs central Gaza school; 3 killed in Gaza City
The Israeli military’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip is continuing overnight, with news emerging of two deadly attacks over recent hours.
A strike on the Abu Halu School in the Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza, has killed at least four people, the Palestinian Information Center and the Quds News Network report.
An Israeli strike on a residential apartment near the Imam Shafi’i School in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, northern Gaza, has also killed at least three people and injured others, the Palestinian Information Center reports.
GHF says Khan Younis aid site to be closed today after deadly stampede
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) says its Khan Younis aid distribution site will be closed today “for maintenance”.
On Wednesday, at least 20 people were killed at the GHF’s distribution hub in the southern Gaza city, including 15 from a stampede and suffocation due to tear gas fired at aid seekers, according to Palestinian health officials.
The Israel- and US-backed group acknowledged the deaths at its distribution point but accused Hamas-affiliated Palestinians of fomenting the unrest. It also denied its forces used tear gas against the crowd.
Witnesses said guards at the site sprayed pepper gas at them after they had locked the gates to the centre, trapping them between the gates and the outer wire fence.
Since it began operating in late May, the GHF has been engulfed in criticism for setting up sites that the UN describes as “death traps”. More than 870 people have been killed near or at its distribution hubs.
Eight Palestinians killed while trying to protect aid trucks on way to northern Gaza
In the past hour, eight people, who had been tasked with securing aid trucks, have been reported killed. As many as 20 trucks were on their way to designated areas in the northern part of the Strip and were hit in a drone attack. Body parts were scattered and civil defence members had to collect them.
This is, unfortunately, routine for those who attempt to secure aid trucks, which will end up in the hands of looters and gangs supported largely by the Israeli military.
Food distribution is still very limited. Whatever is available is coming from the GHF centres and it’s only a trickle. Only a few people are able to get some food, while those who get large quantities are the looters who are stealing the aid and reselling it on the market for prices that are beyond the capabilities of many here in Gaza.
At least 94 killed Palestinians brought to Gaza hospitals in past 24 hours
That’s according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which just released its latest casualty figures.
According to the ministry:
- Of the 94 killed Palestinians brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours, 26 were killed while seeking humanitarian aid.
- At least 367 injured Palestinians have also arrived at Gaza hospitals in the last 24 hours, including more than 32 who were hurt seeking aid.
- Since the contentious US- and Israel-backed GHF food distribution scheme was launched in May, at least 877 Palestinian aid seekers have been killed and 5,666 have been wounded.
- At least 58,667 Palestinians have been killed and another 139,94 have been injured across Gaza since Israel’s war on the territory began on October 7, 2023.
