UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an immediate and independent investigation into the reported killing of Palestinians near an aid distribution centre in Rafah, Gaza, on Sunday. The call comes amid sharply conflicting accounts from eyewitnesses, medical organisations, and the Israeli military about the circumstances surrounding the deadly incident, BBC reported.
The Gaza-based Civil Defence agency, which is run by Hamas, said at least 31 people were killed and 176 others wounded after Israeli forces allegedly opened fire on civilians gathered near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid centre, a US- and Israeli-backed facility. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said its field hospital in Rafah received 179 casualties, including women and children, with 21 declared dead upon arrival, the BBC report said.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene, with people 바카라shot at from all sides바카라 by what they believed were Israeli drones, helicopters, boats, and tanks as they waited for aid. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said its teams at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis also treated several critically injured patients, some of whom reported being targeted while trying to collect food.
BBC reported that the violence unfolded near the al-Alam roundabout, close to the GHF site, as crowds gathered and Israeli tanks approached. Social media footage purportedly showing the attack has circulated online, but the BBC said it was unable to verify the location or date due to limited identifiable landmarks in the footage.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strongly denied that its troops fired at civilians, calling the reports 바카라false.바카라 In a statement, the IDF said an initial inquiry found 바카라no connection between the incident in question and the IDF바카라 and that warning shots were only fired to deter a group of 바카라suspects바카라 approaching Israeli soldiers nearly a kilometre from the aid centre.
IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin blamed Hamas for 바카라spreading rumours바카라 and attempting to disrupt aid operations, and claimed the group seeks to stop Gazans from accessing international assistance. The IDF also released drone footage allegedly showing armed men firing at civilians, but the authenticity and context of the video could not be independently verified.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates the aid site, described reports of fatalities near its facility as 바카라outright fabrications.바카라 In a statement on Monday, the GHF said: 바카라There were no injuries, fatalities or incidents during our operations yesterday. Period. We have yet to see any evidence that there was an attack at or near our facility.바카라
UN Secretary-General Guterres, however, voiced serious concern. 바카라I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday,바카라 he said. 바카라I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.바카라
In response, Israel바카라s foreign ministry condemned Guterres바카라 remarks as a 바카라disgrace,바카라 accusing him of ignoring Hamas바카라 role in ongoing hostilities and of bias in the face of 바카라fabricated accusations.바카라
