Israel Kills At Least 70 Palestinians at US Aid Site in Gaza

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israeli forces killed at least 70 Palestinians and injured hundreds as they sought aid at the United States aid center in Gaza on Tuesday. The Israeli military fired tank shells, machine guns, and drones at them.

The victims were among the 89 Palestinians killed in the besieged enclave since dawn.

The Israeli army fired at the desperate aid seekers on Tuesday morning as they gathered along the main east-west road in the southern city of Khan Younis.

It is the latest in a wave of ongoing bloodshed since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by Israel and the United States, launched an operation to distribute food in the area three weeks ago.

The death toll is expected to rise as many of the injured are in critical condition, according to medical officials at Nasser Hospital, where the victims were being treated.

Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal added that more than 200 people were injured, although reports on the number of casualties vary.

"Israeli drones fired at civilians. A few minutes later, Israeli tanks fired several rounds at the civilians, resulting in many deaths and injuries," the spokesman said, noting that the crowd had gathered in the hope of receiving flour.

Hani Mahmoud from Al Jazeera, reporting from Gaza City, said Israeli tanks, heavy machine guns, and drone strikes "poured down" on the crowd, according to eyewitnesses.

The death toll of more than 70 people makes Tuesday the deadliest day in the vicinity of the GHF site so far. Previously, the grim record was set on Monday, when 38 people, most of them in the Rafah area south of Khan Younis, were killed.

Reports indicate that more than 300 people have been killed and over 2,000 injured while trying to collect aid from GHF since the operation started in Gaza on May 26.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for accountability after the latest killings at the GHF site.

His deputy spokesman, in a comment delivered at the UN headquarters in New York, said: "The UN Secretary-General condemns the loss of life and injuries to civilians in Gaza, where once again they were shot while seeking food. It is unacceptable," said Farhan Haq.

"As of yesterday, 338 people have died and over 2,800 have been injured while trying to access food, food near the distribution site."

'Torn to pieces'

Survivors described a horrific scene. "Dozens of civilians, including children, were killed, and no one could help or save lives," said survivor Saeed Abu Liba, 38, to Al Jazeera.

Yousef Nofal, who called the event a "massacre", said he saw many motionless and bleeding people on the ground. Soldiers continued to shoot at people as they fled, he said.

"I survived by a miracle," said Mohammed Abu Qeshfa, mentioning gunfire and tank fire.

Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, cited medical sources at Nasser Hospital saying many victims "cannot be identified" as they were "torn to pieces" in the attack.

The GHF began distributing limited food aid in Gaza at the end of May after Israel lifted a nearly three-month total blockade on food, medicines, and other essential items, raising concerns of starvation for the 2.3 million population.

No other aid was allowed in by Israel, which essentially still maintains the punishing blockade.

The UN and major humanitarian groups have refused to work with GHF, as it prioritizes Israeli military targets over humanitarian needs. The Swiss-based foundation managed by US mercenaries has bypassed organizations that have decades of experience in providing food and medicine at hundreds of locations for the entire Gaza population.

Following previous shootings, which have occurred almost daily since aid centers were opened, the Israeli military claimed that its soldiers had fired warning shots at what they termed as suspects approaching their positions, although it was not mentioned if the shots hit anyone.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday pleaded for fuel to be allowed into Gaza to keep some of its functional hospitals operating.

"For over 100 days, no fuel has entered Gaza, and efforts to take supplies from the evacuation zone have been denied," said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the Palestinian territories.

Peeperkorn said only 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals are currently functioning minimally to partially. They have a total of about 1,500 beds - about 45 percent fewer than before the Israeli war in Gaza began.

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