TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - At least 17 people have been killed, 86 injured and five are missing as a result of the US-Israeli aid delivery mechanism, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Saturday.
In a statement carried by Anadolu Agency, the ministry said: "The number of those who died due to aid has risen to 17, following the death of one on Thursday and five more on Friday."
The ministry added that "more than 86 people were also injured in areas designated for aid distribution."
It further said that five people have been documented missing at an aid distribution center in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.
The system was launched on Tuesday by the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)," an agency backed by Israel and the US but operating outside the humanitarian framework of the United Nations (UN). The mechanism has drawn widespread criticism.
Witnesses and local officials reported that Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on starving Palestinian civilians gathered at aid distribution points, killing and injuring many.
The Gaza-based Hamas government, Palestinian factions and international organisations have condemned the mechanism as lacking basic humanitarian standards and endangering civilian lives.
The Israeli military has set up four aid distribution sites, three in southern Gaza and one in the central Netzarim corridor, which separates the north and south. However, Palestinians who visit these sites report being greeted with bullets instead of aid.
The US-Israeli aid mechanism, promoted as a solution to hunger in Gaza, has been widely criticised as a tool of control and humiliation.
Observers and survivors say the mechanism not only fails to meet humanitarian standards but actively endangers lives. The system forces Palestinian civilians to choose between the mortal risk of approaching Israeli-controlled aid centres or enduring hunger in devastated neighbourhoods.
Since March 2, Israel has closed all border crossings, cutting off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other essential supplies to Gaza’s 2.4 million residents.
Israel has waged a devastating assault on Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 54,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned of the risk of famine among the enclave’s more than 2 million residents.
Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war crimes against Palestinian civilians in the enclave.
Editor's Choice: Macron Threatens Sanctions on Israelis as Gaza Faces Aid Crisis
Prabowo Frequently Raises Two-State Solution in Global Forums, Says Foreign Minister
14 jam lalu
Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said President Prabowo Subianto frequently mentions the two-state solution in international forums
NU Chair Says Prabowo's Palestine Remarks Reflect Organization's Stance
17 jam lalu
President Prabowo stated that Indonesia would recognize Israel if it acknowledged Palestine as a sovereign state
Macron Threatens Sanctions on Israelis as Gaza Faces Aid Crisis
20 jam lalu
President Macron urges the international community not to tolerate Israel's atrocities in Gaza.
Israel Fears France's Push for Palestine State Recognition
1 hari lalu
France's Emmanuel Macron has issued the strongest warning to date against Israel. France is calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state.
Israel Agrees to New US-Backed Ceasefire Proposal, Hamas: 'Still Under Discussion'
1 hari lalu
Israel agreed to a 60-day ceasefire proposal with Hamas, brokered by US envoy Steve Witkoff.
Indonesia Dismisses Claims of Secret Diplomacy with Israel
1 hari lalu
Israel once supported Indonesia's membership in the OECD, but with the condition of establishing diplomatic relations
Germany and Israel: Fractures in a Historically Firm Alliance
2 hari lalu
Germany, Israel's strongest ally in Europe, is now openly condemning Israel's military actions as irrational
Death Toll in Gaza Climbs Past 54,200
2 hari lalu
A new list of the death toll in Gaza released on March 22 shows that 31 percent of them are under 18
UN Accuses Israel of Still Obstructing Humanitarian Aid to Gaza
2 hari lalu
The United Nations declares that Israel has rejected all six humanitarian aid movements coordinated by the UN for Gaza.
Chile Withdraws Military Attache from Israel Over Gaza Genocide
2 hari lalu
This move marks the latest escalation in diplomatic tensions between Chile and Israel under President Gabriel Boric.
