In Gaza, Israeli shots left at least 27 dead near a food aid center – Liberation
The Civil Defense of Gaza announced on Tuesday the death of at least 27 people in the south of the Palestinian territory after Israeli fire, the army indicating having opened fire towards « Suspects » Refusing to respond to the injunctions of his soldiers. « 27 people were killed and more than 90 injured in the massacre of civilians waiting for American aid in the Al-Alam zone in Rafah »said the civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal, who said earlier that the victims had succumbed « At the Israeli Forces shots ». These have « Open fire using tanks and drones on thousands of civilians who had gathered since dawn », he said.
The results of 27 dead were confirmed this Tuesday evening by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “Early this morning, the Rafah Red Cross-Red Country Hospital (South), with a capacity of 60 beds, received a massive influx of 184 patients. Nineteen of them were declared dead when they arrived and eight others died of their injuries shortly after. The majority of patients were shot in bullets ”, specifies the humanitarian aid institution in a press release. Shots condemned by the UN, qualifying this situation as« unacceptable ».
The Israeli army confirms the shots during a crowd movement along the roads leading to A humanitarian aid distribution siteabout half a kilometer: « Soldiers made warning fire and, while the suspects did not retreat, they again fired in the direction of a few suspects who approached soldiers. » The army is « In the informed information concerning victims, and the details of the incident are being examined », underlined Tsahal, who specifies having opened a « investigation ».
For its part, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, described these attacks on Tuesday « war crimes ». « The deadly attacks against desperate civilians who try to access derisory quantities of food aid in Gaza are inadmissible »he assured in a press release. The High Commissioner also underlines that « The attacks on civilians constitute a serious violation of international law ».
This murderous episode comes after shots that have killed dozens and injured Sunday near a humanitarian aid center supported by the United States and Israel in the south of the Gaza Strip. According to the Civil Defense of Gaza, 31 people were then killed and 176 injured by Israeli fire in the governorate of Rafah.
At war for almost twenty months in Gaza against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas after its attack on October 7, 2023 on Israeli soil, the Israeli army denied having « Pulled on civilians while they were near or inside » from the center of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). UN Secretary General António Guterres called on an independent investigation on Monday following these fatal shots.
Israel faces increasing international pressure to end the war in the Gaza Strip, plagued by a catastrophic humanitarian situation.
Update At 7:16 p.m. with the UN conviction, confirmation of the balance sheet by the Red Cross, and the opening of an investigation by TSAhal.
