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Over 30 killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, says civil defence

Palestinian children run toward food parcels dropped by a military aircraft in Jabalia, northern Gaza
Palestinian children run toward food parcels dropped by a military aircraft in Jabalia, northern Gaza

Gaza's civil defence agency said at least 37 people were killed by Israeli fire on Saturday, including 30 civilians who were waiting to collect aid.

Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said that 12 people were killed and nearly 200 wounded when Israeli forces opened fire on them as they gathered near a border crossing in northern Gaza that has been used for aid deliveries.

Six more people were killed and 30 wounded after Israeli troops targeted civilians assembling near an aid point in central Gaza, he said.

Strikes in central Gaza also resulted in multiple casualties, according to Mr Bassal, while a drone attack near the southern city of Khan Yunis killed at least three people and wounded several others.

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Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence and the Israeli military.

Palestinians gather near the Zikim Crossing to receive limited aid supplies in northwestern Gaza
People scramble to received aid near the Zikim Crossing in Gaza

Thousands of Gazans congregate daily near food distribution points in Gaza, including four managed by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Since launching in late May, its operations have been marred by almost-daily reports of Israeli forces targeting those waiting to collect aid supplies.


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Israeli restrictions on the entry of supplies into Gaza since the start of the war nearly two years ago have led to shortages of food and essential supplies, including medicine and fuel, which hospitals require to power their generators.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting pressure to secure a ceasefire to bring the territory's more than two million people back from the brink of famine and free the hostages held by Palestinian militants.

But early yesterday, the Israeli security cabinet approved plans to launch major operations to seize Gaza City, triggering a wave of outrage across the globe.

Despite the backlash and rumours of dissent from Israeli military top brass, Mr Netanyahu has remained defiant over the decision.

Buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes surround makeshift shelters for displaced Palestinians in Gaza City
Much of Gaza has been laid to waste since the war began on 7 October 2023

In a post on social media yesterday, he said "we are not going to occupy Gaza - we are going to free Gaza from Hamas".

Hamas, whose 7 October 2023 attack triggered the war, called the plan a "new war crime".

Israel's offensive has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry, figures the UN says are reliable.

The 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Thousands take to streets in Tel Aviv

Thousands took to the streets in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war in Gaza, a day after the Israeli government vowed to expand the conflict and capture Gaza City.

Demonstrators waved signs and held up pictures of hostages still being held in the Palestinian territory as they called on the government to secure their release.

The number of attendees was estimated to be in the tens of thousands, while a group representing the families of hostages said as many as 100,000 people participated.


Authorities did not provide an official estimate for the size of the crowd, though it dwarfed the ones at other recent anti-war rallies.

"We will end with a direct message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: if you invade parts of Gaza and the hostages are murdered, we will pursue you in the town squares, in election campaigns and at every time and place," Shahar Mor Zahiro, the relative of a slain hostage, said.

Foreign powers, including some of Israel's allies, have been pushing for a negotiated ceasefire to secure the hostages' return and help alleviate a humanitarian crisis in the Strip.

Palestinian Authority slams Israel's escalation in Gaza

The Palestinian Authority has lambasted the Israeli government's decision to expand its military operations in Gaza, calling on the international community to push for the entry of more aid into the enclave.

According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said the Israeli government's moves were "an unprecedented challenge and provocation to the international will to achieve peace and stability".

He went on to urge the "international community, led by the UN Security Council, to urgently compel the occupying state to cease its aggression, allow the entry of aid, and work diligently to enable the State of Palestine to assume its full responsibilities in the Gaza Strip".

The PA - conceived as a first step towards a Palestinian state - exercises limited administration over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The territory is home to about three million Palestinians, as well as around half a million Israelis living in settlements considered illegal under international law.

The PA, however, does not have a presence in Gaza, which has been governed by Hamas for nearly two decades.


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