How Israeli raids transformed a Gaza hospital into a symbol of conflict’s cruel toll

A picture shows the damage to an ambulance at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia the northern Gaza Strip on October 26, 2024 amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
A picture shows the damage to an ambulance at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia the northern Gaza Strip on October 26, 2024 amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Updated 08 December 2024
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How Israeli raids transformed a Gaza hospital into a symbol of conflict’s cruel toll

How Israeli raids transformed a Gaza hospital into a symbol of conflict’s cruel toll
  • Shambolic state of Kamal Adwan Hospital underscores the deepening humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza
  • Facility pays a high price as Israeli forces conduct repeated operations against Hamas fighters in surrounding areas

LONDON: Kamal Adwan Hospital, the last partially functioning medical facility in northern Gaza, has been rendered non-operational following nearly seven weeks of heavy Israeli shelling, a renewed blockade and a deadly raid.

The hospital, located in Beit Lahia, north of Jabalia, has become an emblem of the destruction wrought by the conflict in the Gaza Strip, leaving the region’s already fragile health care system in tatters.

Israeli bombardment, gun battles between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters, and a severe shortage of medical supplies, food, water and fuel have crippled an already overstretched health system in Gaza.




Wounded Palestinians receive treatment at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia the northern Gaza Strip on October 26, 2024 amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

Compounding the misery of Gaza’s 2.3 million people, most of whom have been repeatedly displaced, heavy winter rains have flooded tents across the enclave, spoiling food and damaging plastic and cloth sheeting that had protected the displaced Palestinians against the elements.

Israel says that its forces seek to minimize civilian fatalities but that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques, as shields for its military operations. As of Nov. 5, only 17 of the enclave’s 36 hospitals remained partially functional, according to UN figures.

Once a critical lifeline for the residents of northern Gaza, Kamal Adwan is now a shadow of its former self. Israeli forces claim their operations target Hamas militants, but the toll on civilians has been catastrophic. Witness accounts, humanitarian reports and harrowing images from the hospital reveal terrible suffering, compounded by the destruction of medical infrastructure that thousands relied on for urgent care.

IN NUMBERS

• 44,211+

Palestinians, most of them civilians, killed in Gaza war.

• 18,000

Combatants killed according to Israel.

• 2.3m

People in Gaza displaced at least once since Oct. 7, 2023.

On Friday, according to a CNN website report quoting witnesses, four doctors were killed and dozens of people wounded after Israeli forces stormed the compound. In a statement, Hussam Abu Safiya, the hospital’s director, accused the troops of forcing health workers and patients to leave the facility, and destroying critical medical supplies.




A Palestinian man carries away an injured child from a home that was hit in an Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, on November 7, 2024. (AFP)

The Israel military denied striking or operating within the hospital, instead saying that its forces fought “against terror infrastructure and terrorists” in the nearby Jabalia area. It said it was in “continuous contact” with Kamal Adwan Hospital to deliver supplies and equipment.

The attack on Friday was the second such raid by the Israeli military since it commenced operations in three cities in northern Gaza on Oct. 5, asserting that Hamas fighters were regrouping in the area. It warned of “systematic strikes and the radical destruction of terrorist structures.”

On Oct. 8, amid fierce fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas militants in Jabalia and its refugee camp, Israeli tanks surrounded Kamal Adwan Hospital, issuing evacuation orders to its staff, patients and hundreds of people seeking refuge within its walls.




The attacks on Kamal Adwan Hospital must stop immediately, and safe passage for a humanitarian mission must be ensured, says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO

According to Gaza’s health authority, the situation quickly deteriorated as Israeli bombardment escalated, cutting off vital access to food, water and medical supplies.

Prior to the hospital siege, the Israeli military had ordered Palestinians in Jabalia to relocate southward to a designated “humanitarian zone” in Al-Mawasi. However, international organizations and rights groups have consistently challenged Israeli claims about the existence of safe zones in Gaza. In July, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated emphatically: “Nowhere (in Gaza) is safe. Everywhere is a potential killing zone.”

On Oct. 24, during the third week of Israel’s offensive in Jabalia, the World Health Organization and its partners undertook a perilous mission to Kamal Adwan. Despite hostilities in the vicinity, the team managed to transfer 23 patients and 26 caregivers to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. They also delivered 180 units of blood, trauma and surgical supplies, and medicines for more than 5,000 patients, according to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO.




Rubbish and debris are scattered near damaged buildings in the vicinity of the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahya in the northern Gaza Strip on October 31, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. (AFP)

“Kamal Adwan Hospital has been overflowing with close to 200 patients — a constant stream of horrific trauma cases. It is also full of hundreds of people seeking shelter,” he said on X.

Noting that the WHO mission returned at 3:30am, Ghebreyesus said “accessing hospitals across Gaza is getting unbelievably harder and exposes our staff to unnecessary danger.”

Hours later, the WHO said that it had lost touch with Kamal Adwan’s staff. In the afternoon, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said it had also lost contact with its staff member and orthopedic surgeon Mohammed Obeid, who was sheltering and working in the hospital.

Kamal Adwan Hospital has been overflowing with close to 200 patients — a constant stream of horrific trauma cases.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO

The following day, Oct. 26, and after a days-long raid, Israeli troops withdrew from the facility, leaving it in complete disarray and taking with them dozens of staffers — including MSF’s Obeid.

The US-based NGO MedGlobal also said that six of its affiliates, including Mahmoud Lubbad, the nursing director at Kamal Adwan, were among those “illegally detained by Israeli forces.”




For the people of northern Gaza, it was more than just a medical facility; it was a lifeline in a region under siege. (Photo: X @DrTedros)

The Gaza health ministry accused Israeli soldiers of setting large sections of the hospital ablaze, assaulting staff and patients, arresting 30 medical personnel, and taking six MedGlobal affiliates, including the hospital’s nursing director, Mahmoud Lubbad, into custody.

Khalil Daqran, spokesperson for Gaza’s health ministry, described the raid as an act of deliberate destruction. “The army stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital, causing widespread destruction; setting large parts on fire, destroying the hospital’s entrances, and demolishing surrounding walls,” he said in a video statement. “Patients and medical staff were assaulted, with many patients and companions arrested, along with most of the medical staff. The fate of 30 medical personnel remains unknown.

“The (Israeli) army has removed the hospital from service entirely, destroying all its contents. There are now no medicines, medical supplies or food within the hospital.”




People comfort each other inside the Kamal Adwan hospital, as victims receive medical care following an Israeli strike that hit an area near the medical establishment in Beit Layia in the northern Gaza Strip early on November 21, 2024, reportedly leaving dozens of people killed or unaccounted for. (AFP)

Gaza’s health authority said that more than 600 people were trapped in Kamal Adwan during the Israeli military incursion.

Witnesses recounted chilling scenes. According to the Australian broadcaster ABC, Israeli soldiers beat patients until they bled, used dogs to intimidate children, and forced more than 100 men — many of them ill or injured — to strip down to their underwear in the cold before taking them away.

Hanan Balkhy, WHO’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said that after the Israeli soldiers withdrew, the hospital still had “195 patients, many of whom, along with displaced people, fear leaving due to safety concerns.”

“What they have endured is beyond words,” she wrote in a post on X.

She also said that “of the 70 hospital staff, reportedly 44 male staff members were detained. Only female staff, the hospital director, and another male doctor remain at the hospital. Some patients and displaced people were also reportedly detained.”

The Israeli military said that its operation targeted a “Hamas terrorist stronghold” and claimed to have detained about 100 militants. It also alleged that some Hamas fighters disguised themselves as medical staff, releasing a video in which an ambulance driver said that Hamas fighters were stationed at the hospital.




People gather as smoke rises from a UN school-turned-shelter after it was hit in an Israeli strike, in the Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip on November 14, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas militant group. (AFP)

Both hospital staff and Hamas have denied any militant presence at the facility.

Despite the withdrawal of Israeli forces, Kamal Adwan continued to face bombardment. On Nov. 24, Abu Safiya, the hospital’s director, was injured in a quadcopter strike targeting his office. He described relentless attacks on the hospital’s emergency entrance, courtyard and oxygen station, which disrupted vital supplies and care.

In a statement sent to Arab News two days before the attack, Abu Safiya said: “While we were in the emergency department checking on the injured, a plane suddenly dropped bombs on the emergency reception entrance without prior warning.




People gather as smoke rises from a UN school-turned-shelter after it was hit in an Israeli strike, in the Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip on November 14, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas militant group. (AFP)

“Four medical staff members were injured. When we transferred them to the radiology department to perform imaging for their injuries, those transporting the injured were targeted as well. Two other nursing staff members were critically injured and admitted to the intensive care unit.”

Abu Safiya added that the hospital courtyard was also bombed, severely damaging the power generators and the adjacent oxygen station, which disrupted the oxygen supply to multiple departments.

“This is not the first time Kamal Adwan Hospital has been bombed,” Abu Safiya said, referring to similar incidents in December 2022 and May 2023. During one earlier raid, Israeli forces reportedly barred doctors from providing care to critical patients, resulting in multiple deaths, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.




A Palestinian man stares at the rubble of the Alloush family's house, levelled in an Israeli strike in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 10, 2024. (AFP)

He wrote that the relentless strikes “resulted in 12 injuries among doctors, nurses and administrative staff within the emergency and reception areas.

“Additionally, there was significant damage that disrupted the electrical generator, oxygen supply network, and water supply, instilling terror and fear among the injured and patients, including children and women.”

At the hospital there were 86 injured individuals, eight cases in intensive care on ventilators, and 13 child patients, he said.




Palestinians carry down an injured child from a home that was hit in an Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, on November 7, 2024. (AFP)

Malnutrition cases have also emerged in the pediatric department. Abu Safiya called on the international community “to intervene by sending surgical teams, medical supplies, and ambulances.”

The destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital has drawn widespread condemnation from humanitarian organizations and rights groups. Medical Aid for Palestinians, a UK charity, described the attack as “another atrocity” by Israeli forces, while WHO chief Ghebreyesus demanded that the attacks on Kamal Adwan “must stop immediately.”

In a post on X on Nov. 25, he wrote that “continued attacks” on the hospital “have caused an additional 14 injuries in the past 48 hours, including the hospital director and the very few remaining doctors and nurses — this is deplorable.”

The Gaza health ministry said that the hospital’s destruction has left northern Gaza completely without medical services, further endangering the lives of thousands of civilians.

The hospital’s fate underscores the broader collapse of Gaza’s health care infrastructure amid the conflict. As of Nov. 5, only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remained partially operational, according to UN figures.

The Israeli military said in a joint statement with COGAT, which coordinates operations with the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, that it had facilitated the transfer of more than 300 patients, caregivers and medical staff from northern Gaza hospitals to safer areas.

On Nov. 24, the Israeli military said that it had transferred 17 patients and their caregivers from Kamal Adwan to other facilities as part of a campaign to ensure “operational medical centers” in Gaza.

The conflict has taken a devastating toll on Gaza’s civilian population. Since Hamas-led Palestinian militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 last year, killing 1,200 people and abducting 240 others, Israel has responded with widespread airstrikes and ground operations.

According to a Reuters count, the Israeli offensive has resulted in more than 44,200 deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands. On Wednesday, Israeli military strikes across Gaza killed 15 people, some of them in a school housing displaced people, medics in Gaza said.

The destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital has left many northern Gaza residents without access to medical care, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. For the people of northern Gaza, it was more than just a medical facility; it was a lifeline in a region under siege.

Its destruction has further deepened the suffering of a population caught in the throes of a war that has defied ceasefire efforts. The international community has called for urgent action to address the deteriorating situation, but for now, the hospital remains a stark symbol of the human cost of the Gaza conflict.

 


Hamas says French pledge to recognize State of Palestine ‘positive step’

Hamas says French pledge to recognize State of Palestine ‘positive step’
Updated 55 min 21 sec ago
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Hamas says French pledge to recognize State of Palestine ‘positive step’

Hamas says French pledge to recognize State of Palestine ‘positive step’

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Islamist militant group Hamas hailed France’s pledge on Thursday to recognize a State of Palestine as a “positive step” and urged all countries to do the same despite Israeli opposition.

“We consider this a positive step in the right direction toward doing justice to our oppressed Palestinian people and supporting their legitimate right to self-determination,” Hamas said in a statement, after French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France would formally state its recognition in September.

“We call on all countries of the world — especially European nations and those that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine — to follow France’s lead,” Hamas added.

More than 30 former UK ambassadors and 20 former senior diplomats at the UN have also urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to recognize a Palestinian state.

In a statement, the diplomats called on Starmer to seize the “moment to recognise Palestinian statehood unconditionally," warning that “the risks of inaction have profound, historic and catastrophic implications.”

Starvation has affected the 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip amid Israeli attacks and aid restrictions.

“(Israel) cannot be secure from threats in the future if the question of Palestine is not taken forward to a political settlement,” they said.

The statement added: “In the face of the current horror and impunity, words are not enough … a partial suspension of arms sales, delays on trade talks and limited sanctions are far from the full extent of the pressure the UK can bring to bear on Israel.”

Recognising a Palestinian state would be a “foundational first step toward breaking the deadly status quo,” the letter said. The UK has consistently stated it would recognize Palestine in conjunction with allies “at the point of maximum impact.”


How two families crossed the rubble of Gaza, fleeing war and hunger

How two families crossed the rubble of Gaza, fleeing war and hunger
Updated 24 July 2025
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How two families crossed the rubble of Gaza, fleeing war and hunger

How two families crossed the rubble of Gaza, fleeing war and hunger
  • UN reports 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.1 million people are displaced
  • Families face displacement, loss, and hunger amid Gaza conflict

GAZA/CAIRO: The Bakrons and Al-Bareems, two families from opposite ends of Gaza, have criss-crossed the rubble-strewn territory many times during 21 months of war, in search of food and shelter from Israeli attacks.

They’ve sought refuge in the homes of friends and relatives, in school classrooms and in tents, moving frequently as the Israeli military has ordered civilians from one zone to another.

The Bareems, from southern Gaza, have a disabled child who they have pushed in his wheelchair. The Bakrons, from the north, stopped wandering in May after two children of their children were killed in an airstrike.

“Our story is one of displacement, loss of loved ones, hunger, humiliation and loss of hope,” said Nizar Bakron, 38, who lost his daughter Olina, 10, and son Rebhi, eight.

The families’ experiences illustrate the plight of the 1.9 million Gaza residents — 90 percent of the population — that the United Nations says have been displaced during the conflict.

Israel’s war in Gaza has left much of the enclave in ruins and its people desperate from hunger. It was triggered by an attack by Islamist group Hamas — which governs the Strip — on Israeli border communities on October 7, 2023 that killed some 1,200 people and took 250 hostage. Before the war, Nizar and his wife Amal, four years his junior, had a happy life in Shejaia, a teeming district in the east of Gaza City. Their eldest Adam is 12; the youngest, Youssef, a baby.

Photographs, seen by Reuters, show family parties at home and days at the beach.

“When the October 7 attack happened, I knew it wouldn’t be something good for us,” Nizar said. They left home the next day for Amal’s mother’s house further south in Zahra, he said.

Five days later Israel began ordering civilians in northern Gaza to move south and, on October 27, it launched a ground invasion.

Throughout the war Israel has issued evacuation orders in areas where it plans to conduct operations — though it has also struck elsewhere during those periods.

Israel says the orders protect civilians but it strikes wherever it locates Hamas fighters, who hide among the population. Hamas denies using civilians as shields.

Palestinians accuse Israel of using the evacuation orders to uproot the population, which it denies.

The family left for Nuseirat, an old refugee camp in central Gaza, where they crammed into an apartment owned by Amal’s relatives for five months.

Israel’s bombardment was heaviest in the first months of the war. The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, said the death toll reached 32,845 by the end of March 2024. It has now passed 59,000 people, the ministry says.

Food and fuel were becoming very expensive, with little aid arriving. In April, Israel issued an evacuation order and the Bakrons went further south to Rafah on the border with Egypt where there was more to eat.

They loaded the car and a trailer with mattresses, clothes, kitchen equipment and a solar panel and drove 15 miles along roads lined with ruins.

In Rafah, they squeezed into a classroom of a UN school which they shared with Nizar’s two brothers and their families — about 20 people. Their savings were quickly disappearing.

Weeks later, a new Israeli evacuation order moved them to Khan Younis, a few kilometers away, and another crowded classroom.

In January, a ceasefire allowed them to move back north to Nuseirat, where the family had land. They cleared a room in a damaged building to live in.

“We thought things would get better,” Nizar said.

But, after less than two months, the ceasefire collapsed on March 18. Two days later, Bakron’s sister, her husband and two daughters were killed in an airstrike in Khan Younis, he said.

As Israeli operations escalated, the family fled to Gaza City. They pitched a tent — the first time they had to live in one — against a building on Wehda Street, a central district. On May 25, as most of the family slept, Nizar was sitting outside, talking on the phone, when an airstrike hit and the building collapsed.

He pulled away the debris but Olina and Rebhi were dead. His wife Amal and eldest Adam were injured, and the baby Youssef’s leg was broken.

Nizar does not know how they can move again. The family is in mourning and their car was damaged in the strike, he said.

The UN estimates nearly 90 percent of Gaza’s territory is covered by Israeli evacuation orders or within Israeli militarized zones, leaving the population squeezed into two swathes of land where food is increasingly scarce. Israel says restrictions on aid are needed to prevent it being diverted to Hamas.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday Gaza is

suffering from man-made starvation

.

Amal, who still has bruising on her face and wears a brace upon her arm after the attack, grieves for her two children: “My life changed, from having everything to having nothing, after being displaced.”

“We fear for our lives“

Majed Al-Bareem, 32, was a teacher before the war in Bani Suheila, a town east of Khan Younis. He and his wife Samia, 27, have a two-year-old son, Samir. They lived in a pretty two-story house with an external staircase that had plants in pots running up the steps.

During Israel’s initial offensive, which was focused on northern Gaza, the family stayed put. But early in 2024, Israeli forces pushed into Khan Younis and the Bareems fled their home.

They learned afterwards it had been destroyed.

“I had a beautiful house which we built with our sweat and effort,” Majed said. He showed Reuters photos of the ruins.

They went to Rafah with Majed’s mother, Alyah, 62 and his three sisters. The youngest, Rafah, 19, has Down Syndrome.

Days before they left Khan Younis, his eldest sister’s husband was shot dead. Her son, Joud, nine, is in a wheelchair.

At first, the family stayed in a tent provided by UN aid agencies in a district called Nasr in northern Rafah.

Three months later, Israel ordered civilians to evacuate and the family left for Mawasi, a rural area nearby where displacement camps were growing, he said. Although Israel’s military had designated Mawasi a safe zone, it struck it throughout the summer, killing scores of people, according to local health authorities. Israel said it was targeting militants hiding in the area.

Since the two-month ceasefire ended in March the family has moved repeatedly — so often that Majed said he lost count — between Bani Suheila, Khan Younis and Mawasi.

“We fear for our lives so, as soon as they order us to leave, we do so,” he said.

Crossing Gaza’s ruined streets with a wheelchair has added to the difficulty. During one journey in May, he and Joud were separated from the family. It took them four hours to travel the five miles to Mawasi along roads littered with debris.

“It was exhausting and scary because we could hear gunfire and bombing,” he said.

The family is currently in a tent in Mawasi. Their savings are nearly gone and they can only rarely afford extra rations to supplement the little they get from charitable kitchens.

“We are tired of displacement. We are tired of lack of food,” said Majed’s mother, Alyah.

Last week, Majed went to Bani Suheila hoping to buy some flour. A shell landed nearby, wounding him in the torso with a shrapnel fragment, he said. It was removed in hospital but left him weak. With Israel and Hamas conducting ceasefire negotiations, the United States has voiced optimism about a deal. Majed says the renewed talks have given him some hope, but he fears they will fall apart, like previous attempts.

“I don’t think anyone can bear what we are bearing,” he said. “It has been two years of the war, hunger, killing, destruction and displacement.” 


France will recognize State of Palestine: Macron

France will recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this upcoming September.
France will recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this upcoming September.
Updated 24 July 2025
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France will recognize State of Palestine: Macron

France will recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this upcoming September.
  • France would be the most significant European power to recognize a Palestinian state
  • “The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and rescue the civilian population,” Macron wrote

PARIS: France will recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday.

“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. I will make a formal announcement at the United Nations General Assembly in September,” the French head of state wrote on X and Instagram.

Including France, Palestinian statehood is now recognized by 142 countries, according to an AFP tally, though Israel and the United States strongly oppose recognition.

France would be the most significant European power to recognize a Palestinian state.

“The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and rescue the civilian population,” Macron wrote.

“We must finally build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability and enable it, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East.”

Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas’s deputy Hussein Al-Sheikh welcomed France’s intent to recognize a State of Palestine, thanking President Emmanuel Macron.

“This position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state,” Sheikh said.


Former guard says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation contractors opened fire at civilians at aid sites

Former guard says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation contractors opened fire at civilians at aid sites
Updated 24 July 2025
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Former guard says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation contractors opened fire at civilians at aid sites

Former guard says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation contractors opened fire at civilians at aid sites
  • Ex-soldier reveals he saw colleagues using pepper spray, throwing stun grenades at people collecting aid
  • Gunfire, explosions heard in footage from GHF aid center amid reports death toll has passed 1,000

LONDON: Security personnel hired by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation fired at unarmed Palestinian civilians trying to get aid, a former US soldier who worked for the group has said.

The soldier told Israeli TV station Channel 12 there was “no fixing” the GHF system, and that it “needs to be put to an end.”

About 1,000 people are thought to have died trying to obtain aid at four GHF distribution points in Gaza since it took over operations from several UN-backed and affiliated groups in May.

The UN has said that famine threatens hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the enclave, with numerous reports of people unable to get enough food from the GHF.

The unnamed former soldier told Channel 12 via video that he saw security personnel shooting at people in an attempt to move them from a distribution center, “shooting in their direction, shooting at them, shooting at their feet … to get them to leave.”

He also said he had seen a contractor spray “an entire can of pepper spray” into the face of a man on his hands and knees picking up needles, which he said was “lethal.”

In another incident, he saw another contractor throw a stun grenade at a woman waiting for aid.

“This thing hit her and she just drops, just lifeless, collapsed to the ground. It looked like she had been killed,” he added.

The Associated Press previously interviewed two GHF contractors who confirmed stun grenades and pepper spray were regularly used against crowds at aid sites.

In video footage provided by the contractors to the AP of civilians trying to collect aid at a GHF center, the sound of bullets and stun grenades can be heard.

They said that many contractors were often heavily armed while on site, but were frequently unvetted and unqualified for the job. 

The former soldier, who served 25 years with the US military, said the four GHF sites were hard for civilians to reach.

“The sites were not set up in locations, nor were they set up in a way that was conducive to distributing or delivering humanitarian aid to a needy population,” he said. “Most of them don’t have shoes, no water, going through active warzone areas.”

The GHF, backed by the US and Israel, uses private US companies to exclude UN employees from its operations. Israel claims UN-led aid convoys were frequently hijacked by Hamas and other groups in Gaza.

GHF aid centers are based in areas controlled directly by the Israeli military, with international journalists unable to access the sites.

The UN agency for Gaza, UNRWA, has criticized the GHF’s methods, with its chief, Philippe Lazzarini, saying: “The so-called ‘GHF’ distribution scheme is a sadistic death trap. Snipers open fire randomly on crowds as if they are given a license to kill.”

In a statement the GHF told Sky News: “This is a disgruntled former contractor who was terminated for misconduct a month ago. GHF launched an immediate investigation as soon as these allegations were brought to our attention. Based on time-stamped video footage and witness statements, we have concluded that the claims made are categorically false.

“At no point were civilians under fire at a GHF distribution site. The gunfire heard in the video was confirmed to have originated from the IDF, which was outside the immediate vicinity of the GHF site.

“The gunfire was not directed at individuals, and no one was shot or injured. We take the safety and security of our operational sites extremely seriously. When behaviour falls short of our standards, we take action. The contractor seen shouting in the video is no longer part of our operations.

“We remain focused on our core mission — delivering food to the people of Gaza in a safe, direct, and uninterrupted manner, as we have done since launching operations on 27 May. Since then, we have distributed nearly 85 million meals to residents of the Gaza Strip.”


Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars

Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars
Updated 24 July 2025
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Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars

Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars
  • Grand mufti urges implementation of UN Resolution 1701, opposes new agreements
  • Joseph Aoun commended the collaboration between Mufti Derian and the Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Aql Sami Abi Al-Mona, during Syria’s Sweida clashes

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday warned that his country cannot endure another war, stressing that national unity and Arab cooperation are key to Lebanon’s recovery.

“The Lebanese can no longer withstand any additional war,” Aoun said, as he urged leaders to reject divisions and foreign meddling, and instead harness growing regional support to rebuild the nation.

He was speaking to a delegation of prominent Sunni religious leaders headed by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian at the Republican Palace.

The president condemned what he termed Lebanon’s historical “fatal error” —seeking foreign backing against domestic opponents. “We all saw the devastating consequences of this approach,” Aoun said. “Instead, I want to strengthen partnerships with my brothers and allies domestically to counter external threats, regardless of their source.”

Aoun cited Israel as exemplifying the divide-and-conquer strategy that, he said, Lebanon must resist through internal unity. “Our cohesion confronts this approach and addresses all challenges,” he said.

The president gave reassurances about the country’s future, saying that “Lebanon is secure, and we will not return to warfare rhetoric. Our framework is Lebanon itself, destined only for stability and prosperity.”

Fresh from diplomatic talks in Manama, where Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa on Wednesday announced plans for a permanent diplomatic mission in Beirut, Aoun praised recent interfaith coordination that prevented regional tensions from destabilizing Lebanon.

Highlighting the emerging opportunities for Lebanon’s recovery, his call was to seize the support offered by Lebanon’s regional neighbors.

 “We have tremendous prospects ahead of us. You witness how our Arab brothers are extending their hands and approaching us. We must capitalize on these chances and transform our nation’s circumstances.”

He commended the collaboration between Mufti Derian and the Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Aql Sami Abi Al-Mona, during Syria’s Sweida clashes, calling it evidence of “elevated national consciousness and profound responsibility.”

The president criticized those “spreading rumors to intimidate citizens against one another,” while celebrating the dual contributions of Lebanon’s Sunni community: internal moderation and affirming Lebanon’s Arab identity.

Aoun praised the community’s sacrifices, noting religious and political leaders who died serving Lebanon, from clerics Sheikh Ahmed Assaf, Mufti Hassan Khaled, and Mufti Subhi Al-Saleh, to prime ministers Riad Al-Solh, Rashid Karami, and Rafic Hariri.

“No individual possesses the power to eliminate another in Lebanon, nor does anyone hold superior merit,” Aoun said. “United, we all serve Lebanon’s interests. Divided, we destroy the entire nation, leaving no protection for anyone.”

Aoun reported significant progress in government reform, claiming achievements unseen in nearly 15 years — recognition he attributed to international observers. While acknowledging the absence of quick fixes, he emphasized making the most of available opportunities.

Addressing corruption — which he identified as Lebanon’s core problem alongside impunity — Aoun vowed continued action. “Corruption recognizes no boundaries of color, sect, or denomination,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Mufti Derian expressed deep concern over the prevailing “fear and anxiety among the Lebanese,” warning that the country is entering a precarious phase during continued Israeli aggression.

He emphasized that UN Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 war, has been implemented solely by the Lebanese side, while Israel has consistently failed to respect its obligations under the resolution.

The November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was intended to revive the terms of UN Resolution 1701, which calls for Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory, a halt to Hezbollah’s military operations near the southern border, and full control of arms by the Lebanese state. But little progress has been made.

“Even the ceasefire that followed was unilateral, respected and implemented only by Lebanon. According to what we are witnessing, new agreements are now being proposed. Let Resolution 1701, which encompasses all relevant matters, be implemented in full, and let new agreements be dispensed with,” Mufti Derian said in a call for international accountability.

He added: “The Lebanese people have endured immense hardship in recent years, facing one crisis after another, and yet they have remained resilient. Today, more than ever, they need to feel the presence of a state that stands to protect them.”

He reaffirmed support for Aoun in upholding the oath of office, “which we regard as a vital gateway to rescuing both Lebanon and its people. In this critical moment, we look to you to help steer the country through uncertainty, as citizens grow increasingly anxious over the prospect of renewed Israeli aggression. We stand behind the Arab consensus, whatever all Arabs agree upon, we support,” Mufti Derian told Aoun.

He praised Aoun’s efforts to restore Lebanon’s influential position in the region, citing his regional visits and the trust he enjoys among Arab and international partners. He also commended the president’s commitment to preserve stability among Lebanon’s diverse communities.

“The voice of moderation and centrism must prevail among all Lebanese,” Derian said, calling for cooperation.

Lebanon is facing mounting international pressure to implement the US plan, which calls for setting a timetable for the process of restricting arms to the state in implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

US Special Envoy Tom Barrack highlighted the issue on Wednesday upon his departure from Lebanon after a three-day visit filled with meetings with Lebanese officials. Barrack confirmed from Beirut airport that “there is no deadline for this, and your neighbors are the ones who set the timetable, not the United States,” referring to Israel.

On the security front, the Central Internal Security Council convened a high-level meeting, bringing together senior military, security, and judicial officials.

Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar emphasized the importance of sustained field operations, calling for intensified patrols and a reinforced security presence in Lebanese regions to uphold internal stability. He also highlighted the need to strengthen existing measures along the Syrian border to ensure tighter control and enhanced national security.

The Lebanese Army Command announced that army units arrested 78 Syrians at the Assi-Hermel and Chadra-Akkar checkpoints for illegally entering Lebanese territory.

The army also said that an Intelligence Directorate patrol raided the homes of wanted individuals in Beirut’s southern suburbs, specifically in the Bir al-Abed area, and arrested four citizens.