An American aid organisation, Anera, reported that an Israeli air raid resulted in the death of four Palestinians on Thursday. The victims were part of a temporary control team ensuring the safety of an aid convoy enroute to Rafah’s Emirati Red Crescent Hospital in the southern part of Gaza. The convoy had been launched from the Kerem Shalom crossing, which is governed by Israel.
Reacting to the event, Anera disclosed that the four Palestinians had taken up the leading position in the convoy due to fears of a potentially unsafe route and potential looting problems. They counteracted Israeli allegations of the presence of a substantial amount of weapons in the leading vehicle.
Anera also revealed that an arrangement had been agreed upon with Israeli authorities about unarmed guards accompanying the convoy. It emphasised that the four victims had not been pre-approved or communicated with the Israeli authorities, but were not seen as threatening either.
The organisation confirmed that no forewarning or interaction preceded the Israeli air raid; however, none of the Anera staff were harmed. After the unfortunate death of the four individuals, the convoy proceeded with the delivery of the aid.
Echoing the Israeli conviction, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), in a statement published by several media, maintained that the four victims were “armed perpetrators” who had hijacked the leading vehicle and had been leading the convoy before they were targeted.
The IDF further explained that “following the takeover and further verification, a strike was carried out on the armed perpetrators’ vehicle.” Attempts to get further comments from the Israeli military and the Israeli embassy in Washington were unfruitful.
This incident is not the first of its kind. Aid and humanitarian groups have been previously targeted during conflicts in Gaza. In April, seven World Central Kitchen staff were killed when an aid convoy was hit by three separate Israeli attacks. Furthermore, the United Nations World Food Programme reported this week that one of its vehicles was hit by ten bullets near an Israeli military checkpoint.
The surge in violence in the enduring Israeli-Palestinian discord commenced on October 7th as a result of an attack by the Palestinian Islamist faction, Hamas, on Israel. As per Israel’s count, this resulted in the death of 1,200 individuals and around 250 were taken as captives. In response, Israel launched an attack on the Hamas-administered area, which is reported by the local health ministry to have caused over 40,000 Palestinian fatalities. It’s alleged that almost the entire population of Gaza, around 2.3 million, have been forced to relocate, sparking a famine crisis in the region. Israel is currently facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, charges it strongly denies. The increased influence of far-right groups within Israel’s coalition has triggered conjecture on the true motives behind the West Bank offensives. Source: Reuters.