Israel bombs Gaza aid guards as they are attacked by looters
Israeli strikes killed six Palestinian guards protecting aid trucks on Friday, as they were being attacked by looters, in what appears to be the latest coordination between the army and local gangs.
According to Anadolu Agency, the six were killed and others wounded in Deir al-Balah while attempting to "secure the arrival of aid trucks to international organisation warehouses in the city".
Armed individuals began attacking the aid trucks to loot the supplies, local media reported. As security forces tried to repel the assailants and safeguard the aid, Israeli warplanes launched strikes in the area.
Civilians were also targeted during the intense bombardment. Ambulance crews responding to rescue the wounded and retrieve the bodies of the dead reportedly came under fire as well.
The Government Media Office in Gaza strongly condemned the Israeli attack, describing it as “part of a plan to engineer starvation and disrupt humanitarian relief”.
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The office stated that eight strikes had directly targeted the area where aid workers and volunteers were operating overnight.
Furthermore, a number of killed individuals remain at the site of the attack due to the difficulty in reaching them as heavy shelling continues.
'It's a complete crime and reveals the true intentions of the Israeli occupation to disrupt the flow of humanitarian and medical aid and create a state of chaos'
- Gaza government media office
The media office said targeted personnel were "performing purely humanitarian tasks," including securing two trucks carrying essential medicines and medical supplies destined for hospitals in affected areas.
"It's a complete crime and reveals the true intentions of the Israeli occupation to disrupt the flow of humanitarian and medical aid and create a state of chaos and anarchy."
The media office added that such attacks are further proof of the Israeli army’s role in enabling the looting of humanitarian aid and essential supplies, stating it aims "to ensure they do not reach their beneficiaries by targeting those who organise and ensure their safe passage".
Nahed Shuheiber, director general of the Association of Transport Companies in Gaza, criticised the Israeli bombardment of aid distribution points and the lootings that have ensued in Deir al-Balah, describing the actions as "irresponsible" and severely crippling relief efforts.
He stressed that communities must implement necessary measure to safeguard the delivery of essential items "without disruption or exploitation".
Shuheiber further called on international bodies to secure the protection of aid convoys to maintain relief operations amid the catastrophic situation in the besieged enclave.
Targeting medical warehouse
Meanwhile, the Israeli military targeted a medicine warehouse at Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, setting it ablaze and further exacerbating the severe shortage of vital medical supplies across Gaza.
Efforts to extinguish the fire, which was triggered on Thursday, have been severely hindered, with civil defence crews unable to reach the hospital as a result of ongoing Israel shelling and restrictions.
The hospital warned that without rapid response, the blaze could lead to a complete breakdown of healthcare services in northern Gaza, which is already grappling with an ever-deepening humanitarian crisis.
The Palestinian movement Hamas denounced the Israeli bombing, saying it "is a further attempt to target the health sector and destroy what remains of it, as part of the ongoing war of extermination against the Gaza Strip.
"The fascist occupation government continues its horrific violation of international laws and humanitarian norms by directly targeting hospitals and inhabited homes, relying on American political and military cover and a shameful state of international impotence," Hamas said in a statement.
Amid a severe shortage of aid, the Israeli military has intensified its attacks on civilians, aid distribution points, healthcare facilities and shelters.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza has killed 53,822 people since 7 October 2023, including more than 16,500 children.
Doctors Without Borders warned that expanded military operations and expulsion orders have made it increasingly difficult for Gaza’s population to access medical care.
It added that sustained attacks on civilians and healthcare infrastructure have severely crippled its ability to respond. Medical supplies are also critically low due to the ongoing siege and bombardment.
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