The Washington Post reported, citing the UK and Turkey-based charity "Alkhair Foundation," that an Israeli airstrike on Beit Lahia in northern Gaza on Saturday resulted in the deaths of seven aid workers, along with one civilian.
اضافة اعلان
Mohammed Abu Hasna, the Director of International Offices for Alkhair Foundation, stated that the humanitarian workers were opening displacement camps in Gaza when one of their vehicles was targeted. This led to the death of two photographers documenting the efforts. Abu Hasna added that another vehicle was dispatched to evacuate the survivors, but once they entered, it was struck again, killing all aboard. Among the dead were seven members of the foundation and one person from the camp.
On Saturday, Ismail Al-Thawabteh, Director of the Government Media Office in Gaza, stated that the Israeli army had committed a "brutal massacre" in the Beit Lahia area, resulting in the deaths of nine people who were working for the charity, which had been providing humanitarian aid at shelters and evacuation centers.
The Gaza government media office reported that Israel has killed over 150 Palestinians since the ceasefire agreement went into effect on January 19, 2025, including 40 in the past two weeks. The office’s statement indicated that the Israeli occupation has deliberately escalated its crimes against civilians, including targeting people gathering firewood or inspecting their homes, resulting in deaths by Israeli military fire.
A Horrific Massacre
In turn, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) condemned the massacre, calling it a dangerous escalation that reflects Israel's disregard for international law. Hamas issued a statement saying that the escalation confirmed Israel’s intent to sabotage the ceasefire agreement and waste any opportunity for it to be fully implemented, including prisoner exchanges.
Hamas also stressed that the rise in Israeli crimes since the ceasefire began has placed responsibility on mediators and the United Nations to stop these violations. The movement called on mediators to take immediate action and pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to adhere to the agreement.
In response, the Israeli military claimed in a statement that they had identified two militants operating a drone in Beit Lahia, which they alleged posed a threat to their forces, prompting them to target the individuals.
Netanyahu has obstructed the initiation of the second phase of ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, seeking to extend the first phase of the exchange deal to release as many Israeli prisoners as possible, without completing the military and humanitarian obligations required under the agreement in recent months.
Meanwhile, Hamas has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement and called for Israel’s adherence to it, urging mediators to begin the second phase of negotiations immediately.
With U.S. support, Israel has been committing acts of genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in over 160,000 Palestinian deaths and injuries, most of them women and children, along with over 14,000 missing persons. - (Agencies)
