”At this point, we can confirm at least eight deaths, several injured and we fear that some of our team members have been taken hostage,” says GHF's acting executive director John Acree in a statement.
The bus was on its way to one of GHF's distribution centers for emergency aid near Khan Yunis in southern Gaza Strip. The attack occurred around 22:00 on Wednesday, local time, according to GHF. The organisation states that all on board the bus were Palestinian aid workers, but does not identify the men or state if they were armed.
”We strongly condemn this despicable and intentional attack,” writes GHF.
Hamas: Killed militia members
Hamas claims instead that it was about the Islamist movement killing 12 fighters from the local militia Abu Shabab, after having arrested them accused of collaborating with Israel. The militia states itself that they killed five Hamas fighters and that Hamas arrested and killed aid workers, but mentions nothing about their own losses.
The information from neither Hamas nor Abu Shabab has been able to be verified.
Israel: Cold-blooded murder
Israel also accuses Hamas of using the suffering in Gaza as a weapon.
”After threats, lies and disturbances, they moved on to cold-blooded murder,” writes the Foreign Ministry on X.
GHF, which has been criticized, has three distribution centers and began its efforts to distribute emergency aid in Gaza at the end of May, after the UN and other established organizations were shut out.
GHF's activities cannot live up to humanitarian principles, it has been pointed out from the UN and by other assessors. The operation is also of relatively small scope.
