Israeli strikes kill dozens of Palestinians on Eid day
As millions of Muslims celebrated Eid al-Adha on Friday, Israeli air strikes killed at least 34 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, according to media reports.
Among the dead were children and at least eight people shot by Israeli soldiers while attempting to collect aid at a US-run distribution centre in Rafah, the Gaza-based government media office said.
The strikes came while severe hunger continues to threaten Gaza’s 2.2 million residents, with aid distribution centres established by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) remaining closed for a third consecutive day.
Despite the closures, the GHF told Reuters via email that it delivered essential supplies on Friday, contradicting an earlier Facebook post stating that distribution points were not operating.
The suspension of the GHF's aid distribution system comes after more than 100 Palestinians were gunned down near its sites over eight days.
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Earlier this week, eyewitnesses and local officials told Middle East Eye that Israeli troops opened fire directly on civilians, with many of the fatalities receiving gunshot wounds to their head or chest.
Meanwhile, Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that the area near distribution centers was a "closed military zone" and movement there was not permitted outside the period between 6am and 6pm.
Rising journalist death toll
Meanwhile, the number of journalists who have been killed in Gaza since 7 October has risen to 226 following the death of journalist Ahmed Qaljah, the media office reported.
Qaljah, who worked for Al-Arabiya TV, succumbed to wounds sustained during Israeli attacks targeting a group of media workers in Gaza City's al-Ahli Arab hospital's courtyard on Thursday.
The Israeli attack killed three other reporters, including correspondent Suleiman Hajjaj and photographer Ismail Badah, who both worked for Palestine Today TV, alongside photographer Samir al-Rifai, who worked for the Shams News Agency.
Reporters told MEE that Israeli warplanes targeted the hospital's courtyards as journalists were covering the events on the ground.
The media office condemned the Israeli "targeting, killing, and assassination of Palestinian journalists" in the "strongest terms".
In a statement, the office called on international journalism bodies and organisations to condemn the Israeli assault and take action to protect media personnel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Israeli soldiers ambushed
Meanwhile, Hamas reportedly killed and wounded Israeli soldiers in a number of ambushes in Khan Younis and northern Gaza on Friday.
The Israeli military admitted to the death of four soldiers and wounding of five others in a Khan Younis explosion that caused a building to collapse on Israei troops. The killed soldiers were members of elite units.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a “sad and difficult day”.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas.
The Friday ambushes are the latest in a series of Hamas attacks targeting Israeli troops in Gaza in recent days.
At least eight soldiers have been killed in less than a week.
Amid the fighting, Adraee announced more expulsion orders for civilians in north Gaza to head west, threatening to attack the areas and describing it as a "dangerous combat zones".
middleeasteye.net