Israel Kills over 300 in Gaza in 48 Hours as Possible Truce in Balance
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – More than 300 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the last 48 hours, according to the Gaza Government Media Office, which said Israel has “committed 26 bloody massacres” in that period.
At least 73 people have been killed by the Zionist regime since dawn on Thursday, including 33 desperate aid seekers at the controversial Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid sites.
Thirteen people were killed when Israeli forces attacked a tent in al-Mawasi in the south, while 11 were killed and many wounded in an attack on Mustafa Hafez School, sheltering displaced people west of Gaza City, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
The Government Media Office statement on Thursday said the attacks over the last 48 hours had targeted civilians in shelters and displacement centers overcrowded with tens of thousands of displaced people, public rest areas, Palestinian families inside their homes, popular markets and vital civilian facilities, and starving civilians searching for food.
US contractors ostensibly guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza have been using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food, according to accounts and videos obtained by The Associated Press news agency.
Two US contractors, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity, said they were speaking out because they were disturbed by what they considered dangerous practices. They said the security staff hired were often unqualified, unvetted, heavily armed and seemed to have an open license to do whatever they wished.
More than 130 humanitarian organizations, including Oxfam, Save the Children and Amnesty International, on Tuesday demanded the immediate closure of the GHF, accusing it of facilitating attacks on starving Palestinians.
The NGOs said Israeli forces and armed groups “routinely” open fire on civilians attempting to access food.
Since the GHF began operations in late May, more than 600 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid, and nearly 4,000 have been wounded.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 56,647 people and wounded 134,105 since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
Meanwhile, Hamas has said it is studying a new proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, but insisted it is seeking an agreement that would bring an end to Israel’s devastating war.
Hamas said in a statement on Wednesday that it had received proposals from the mediators and is holding talks with them to “bridge gaps” to return to the negotiating table and try to reach a ceasefire agreement.
The Palestinian group said it was aiming for an agreement that would end the Gaza war and ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave.
