Middle East

Gaza civil defence says 14 killed by Israeli fire


Gaza’s civil defence agency said 14 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in four separate incidents on Wednesday, three of them near aid distribution sites.

The territory has been in the grip of war for almost 22 months and now, according to a UN-mandated report, its two-million-plus inhabitants are facing an unfolding famine.

Gaza’s civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Basal said six people were killed by Israeli fire near an aid distribution centre northwest of Rafah.

The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at a group of people who approached its troops hundreds of metres (yards) away from the aid centre and hours before its opening.

The civil defence agency said two people were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for aid near Netzarim junction, while four were killed while waiting for aid near the Wadi Gaza bridge.

The Israeli army acknowledged opening fire near an aid site in the central Gaza Strip, where both Wadi Gaza and Netzarim are located, but said its assessment was that there were no casualties.

The civil defence agency said an air strike near the territory’s sole Catholic church, the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, killed two people.

Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties.

The war was triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 60,034 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run government’s health ministry.

Since the weekend, Israel has observed a daytime pause in military operations on secure routes and in built-up areas to facilitate aid delivery and distribution.

The move was announced amid an international outcry over the deepening hunger crisis facing Palestinian civilians.



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