Israel and Hamas at war, day 160 | 20 dead in “Israeli shooting” on a crowd

At least 20 people were killed overnight by gunfire at a known aid distribution point in the northern Gaza Strip, the Hamas health ministry announced early Friday, as a first ship loaded with food is expected in the territory on the verge of famine.

The Palestinian Islamist movement accused the Israeli army of having fired “tanks and helicopters” on people who were waiting for a distribution of flour at the “Kuwait” roundabout located near Gaza City. For its part, the Israeli army affirmed that it had not “attacked” Palestinians “at an aid distribution point”, specifying that it was “analyzing the incident seriously” but without detailing its version of the facts at this stage.

The UN fears widespread famine in the territory besieged by Israel, particularly in the difficult-to-access north, where around 300,000 people currently live.

In the north of the Gaza Strip, residents scan the sky daily waiting for an airdrop, but the quantities dropped are limited. As soon as the parachutes approach the ground, they rush into the middle of the ruins, hoping to recover a bag of food.

During the night from Thursday to Friday, a crowd gathered at the “Kuwait” roundabout to wait for the arrival of rare trucks filled with aid was the target of “Israeli fire,” local officials said.

“The toll of victims transported to al-Chifa hospital was revised upwards to 20 dead and 155 injured,” declared the ministry which earlier reported 14 deaths.

“There was direct fire from the occupying forces on people gathered at the “Kuwait” roundabout to wait for the arrival of trucks with food,” Dr. Mohammed Ghurab, director of the emergency services of this hospital. On site, an AFP collaborator saw numerous ambulances with remains and injured people.

A long-awaited ship

Un premier bateau, espagnol, chargé de vivres fait route vendredi vers la bande de Gaza, au moment où les efforts s’accélèrent pour tenter d’acheminer davantage d’aide humanitaire dans le territoire palestinien où la population manque de nourriture après plus de cinq mois de guerre entre Israël et le Hamas.

L’aide par voie terrestre, très insuffisante face aux besoins immenses des 2,4 millions d’habitants du territoire, entre principalement dans la bande de Gaza depuis l’Égypte via le poste-frontière de Rafah, après avoir été inspectée par Israël.  

Mais le volume d’aide arrivant ainsi ne suffit pas à répondre aux besoins de la population, d’où les appels pour ouvrir d’autres voies, donnant sur le nord du territoire, et différentes initiatives comme les parachutages de sacs de nourriture.

« Depuis que la guerre a commencé et que les gens se sont déplacés vers le sud, nous n’avons pas reçu d’aide. Nous errons depuis tôt le matin dans l’espoir qu’un avion largue des parachutes au-dessus de nous », a raconté à l’AFP un déplacé, Mokhles al-Masry, un sac de farine sur les épaules, à Beit Lahya.  

Mais « tout le monde se bouscule violemment pour obtenir un carton pour ses enfants, pour récupérer une boîte de thon ou de fèves. Tout le peuple est affamé et épuisé », a-t-il ajouté.

Autre initiative : un couloir maritime humanitaire ouvert depuis Chypre, à l’initiative de l’Union européenne et des Émirats arabes unis, avec le départ d’un premier bateau de l’ONG espagnole Open Arms chargé de 200 tonnes de vivres fournies par l’ONG américaine World Central Kitchen (WCK).

Tôt vendredi ce bateau faisait route en Méditerranée et s’approchait de Gaza, selon le site spécialisé Marine Traffic. Une équipe de WCK présente à Gaza a construit une jetée flottante où seront débarquées les cargaisons destinées à la population du nord du territoire.

« Nous espérons décharger l’aide dès qu’il sera possible de s’amarrer, mais de nombreux facteurs jouent dans cette opération compliquée », a déclaré jeudi le président de WCK, Erin Gore, à propos d’un chargement d’environ 300 000 repas préparés.  

« Nous savons tous que ce n’est pas suffisant […] This is why we must open this corridor with a continuous flow of boats,” added Mr. Gore, whose NGO indicated overnight that it was chartering a second ship with “hundreds of tons” of food intended for Gaza.

Truce still possible?

These developments come as the United States, Egypt and Qatar – three mediating countries – attempt to secure a multi-week truce agreement accompanied by the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and to an increase in aid entering Gaza ravaged by months of conflict.

The war was sparked on October 7 by an unprecedented attack carried out by Hamas commandos infiltrated from Gaza in southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,160 people, most of them civilians, according to a count of AFP established from official Israeli sources.

According to Israel, around 250 people were kidnapped that day and 130 of them are still hostages in Gaza, 32 of whom are believed to have died.

In retaliation, Israel promised to “annihilate” the Islamist movement, in power in Gaza since 2007, and launched a vast offensive which has so far left at least 31,341 people dead in the Gaza Strip, mostly civilians. according to the Hamas Ministry of Health.

A source within Hamas told AFP that the Islamist movement had presented to mediators from Egypt and Qatar, “who will inform the Americans”, a position showing “flexibility” regarding the “exchange » hostages against prisoners. Hamas also demands “the withdrawal of Israeli forces” from “all populated areas” of Gaza, this source added.

Thursday evening, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office deemed Hamas’ demands “unrealistic”, specifying that an update on the truce talks would be presented “tomorrow” to the war cabinet.