Israeli fire kills dozens near aid site in Gaza

RAFAH

At least 39 people were killed and scores were wounded on Sunday as they were on their way to receive food in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials and multiple witnesses.

The witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds around a kilometer (1,000 yards) away from an aid site run by an Israeli-backed foundation.

The army released a brief statement saying it was “currently unaware of injuries caused by fire within the Humanitarian Aid distribution site. The matter is still under review.”

An Associated Press reporter saw dozens of wounded people being treated at a nearby field hospital run by the Red Cross.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution of aid has been marred by chaos, and multiple witnesses have said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the delivery sites. Before yesterday, at least six people had been killed and more than 50 wounded according to local health officials.

The foundation says the private security contractors guarding its sites have not fired on the crowds, while the Israeli military has acknowledged firing warning shots on previous occasions.

The foundation said in a statement that it distributed 16 truckloads of aid early yesterday “without incident,” and dismissed what it referred to as “false reporting about deaths, mass injuries and chaos.”

Thousands of people headed toward the distribution site hours before dawn. As they headed toward the site, Israeli forces ordered them to disperse and come back later, witnesses said. When the crowds reached the Flag Roundabout at around 3 a.m., Israeli forces opened fire, the witnesses said.

“There was fire from all directions, from naval warships, from tanks and drones,” said Amr Abu Teiba, who was in the crowd. "The scene was horrible."

Ibrahim Abu Saoud, another eyewitness, provided a nearly identical account. He said the military fired from about 300 meters (yards) away.

People used carts to ferry the dead and wounded to the field hospital.

The AP reporter arrived at the hospital at around 6 a.m. and saw dozens of wounded, including women and children. The reporter also saw crowds of people returning from the distribution point. Some were carrying boxes of aid but most appeared to be coming back empty-handed.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army said Sunday that it "did not fire at civilians" within or around the U.S.-backed aid centre in southern Gaza.

"In recent hours, false reports have been spread, including serious allegations against the IDF [military] regarding fire toward Gazan residents in the area of the humanitarian aid distribution site in the Gaza Strip," the army said in a statement. "Findings from an initial inquiry indicate that the IDF did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site and that reports to this effect are false."

Israel and the United States say the new system is aimed at preventing Hamas from siphoning off assistance. Israel has not provided any evidence of systematic diversion, and the U.N. denies it has occurred.

U.N. agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles because it allows Israel to control who receives aid and forces people to relocate to distribution sites, risking yet more mass displacement in the territory.

The U.N. system has struggled to bring in aid after Israel slightly eased its total blockade of the territory last month. Those groups say Israeli restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Gaza's roughly 2 million Palestinians.

Hamas seeks changes in US proposal

Hamas is seeking amendments to the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal for Gaza, a senior official with the group has told The Associated Press, but U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff called the Hamas response “totally unacceptable.”

The Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said proposed amendments focused on “the U.S. guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.” There were no details.

A separate Hamas statement said the proposal aims for a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an ensured flow of aid.

It said 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be released "in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners.” Fifty-eight hostages remain and Israel believes 35 are dead.

Witkoff on social media instead described a 60-day ceasefire deal that would free half the living hostages in Gaza and return half of those who have died. He urged Hamas to accept the framework proposal as the basis for talks that he said could begin next week.