Sawt Falasteen - Gaza aid point crush kills 20 people

It was the first time that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the United States and Israel, acknowledged deaths at one of its distribution sites after weeks of chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Palestinians being killed nearby while waiting to collect rations.

AFP footage showed lifeless bodies taken to a nearby hospital, in the city of Khan Yunis, with some placed on the floor and others on already-bloodied beds.

Abdullah Alian, a witness, said that mayhem unfolded as the crowd of aid-seekers was hit with stun grenades and pepper spray.

"When they saw people starting to die on the ground and people on top of each other suffocating, they opened the gate and people started climbing on top of each other."

It was not clear whether he was referring to US contractors securing GHF sites, Israeli forces or another party.

Paramedic Ziad Farhat said that after more than 21 months of devastating war, "there are not enough hospitals for the injured or the martyrs".

"Enough of the tragedies that we are living."

The latest deaths came as indirect negotiations between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas were ongoing, aiming to seal a deal for a 60-day ceasefire, the release of hostages held in Gaza and the unfettered flow of much-needed aid into the territory.

Hamas has accused Israel of wanting to retain long-term military control of Gaza -- a key sticking point in the talks, which are now in their second week in Qatar.

- 'Stampede' -

The GHF said it understood that 19 of those killed on Wednesday "were trampled and one was stabbed amid a chaotic and dangerous surge".

The organisation said the crush was "driven by agitators", adding: "We have credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd -- armed and affiliated with Hamas -- deliberately fomented the unrest".

Gaza's civil defence agency said at least 20 people were killed in the incident, blaming it on fire from Israeli troops.

Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that thousands had gathered at the site when "Israeli forces opened fire and used (tear) gas, causing panic and a stampede after aid centre guards closed the main gates in front of the hungry crowd".

The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment.

The GHF, an officially private effort, began operations on May 26 as Israel eased a two-month aid blockade that had sparked warnings of famine.

On Tuesday, the UN said it had recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food since late May, including 674 "in the vicinity of GHF sites".

Last week, UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters that "most of the injuries are gunshot injuries".

The GHF -- accused by aid organisations of catering to Israeli military needs -- has denied that fatal shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points, and the Israeli army has accused Hamas of firing at civilians, though witnesses have blamed the military.

- 'No progress' -

In the truce negotiations, Hamas is seeking a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and last week rejected an Israeli proposal that it said would have kept troops in more than 40 percent of the territory.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Wednesday that work was ongoing to revise Israeli pullback maps, citing an unnamed foreign official.

Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas's political leadership, told AFP that Israel "has not yet delivered any new or revised maps regarding military withdrawals".

"What is happening on the ground confirms (Israel's) intentions and plans to maintain and prolong military control within the Gaza Strip for the long term," he said.

Speaking in Gaza on Wednesday, Israel's army chief Eyal Zamir said that "in the coming days, we will know whether or not we have an agreement", according to a military statement.

A Palestinian source close to the negotiations earlier told AFP there had been "no progress so far".

If a deal is not reached, Israel will "intensify and expand combat operations as much as possible, beyond what we are currently doing", Zamir said.

The war was sparked by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel's retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed 58,573 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

E.Qaddoumi--SF-PST