Israel denies claim it killed 20 near aid centre
The Palestinian Health Ministry accused Israeli forces of launching an attack near an aid distribution point in war-wracked northern Gaza, killing 20 people and wounding 155. The Israeli military said Friday that Palestinian gunmen opened fire in that attack and that none of its forces fired toward the waiting crowd or the aid convoy.
Some of those in the crowd near the Kuwaiti Roundabout, the aid distribution point, were run over by the trucks, the military said. The Israeli forces were securing a convoy of 31 aid trucks when the violence erupted late Thursday, it added.
Meanwhile, an aid ship loaded with some 200 tons of food was seen approaching Gaza’s shores on Friday morning in a mission to inaugurate a sea route from Cyprus to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, five months into the war.
The ship, operated by the Spanish aid group Open Arms, left Cyprus on Tuesday towing a barge laden with food sent by World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés.
The international community has been pushing for more aid to enter Gaza, frustrated with the growing humanitarian crisis and with Israel’s restrictions that have prevented more aid getting in by land. Australia announced early Friday it would resume funding to the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians and pledged additional money to UNICEF to provide urgent services in Gaza.
A quarter of Gaza’s population is starving, the United Nations has warned, and the territory’s Health Ministry said Friday that at least 31,490 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says women and children make up twothirds of the dead.
Some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in southern Israel during the Hamas-led incursion on Oct. 7 that sparked the war. Around 250 people were abducted, and Hamas is believed to still be holding about 100 hostages.
President Joe Biden said Friday during an Oval Office chat with Ireland’s prime minister that “a whole lot more” needs to be done in Gaza.
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told Biden he wanted discuss getting Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire “as soon as possible,” as well as how to go about achieving lasting peace by creating two states for the Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side.
“My view is that we need a cease-fire as soon as possible to get food and medicine in, to get the hostages out. We need to talk about how we can make that happen and move towards a two state solution,” Varadkar said.
Varadkar, who was in Washington for the upcoming March 17 St. Patrick’s Day holiday, said a two-state solution, also supported by Biden, is “the only way we’ll have lasting peace and security.”