In a recent development from Gaza, the police force run by Hamas reported the execution of 12 members belonging to a militia allegedly supported by Israel, following their detention early on Thursday. This event unfolded amidst claims from an Israeli-backed aid organization that Hamas attacked a bus transporting Palestinian aid workers, killing at least eight individuals.
The militia, headed by Yasser Abu Shabab, asserted that their operatives had confronted Hamas, killing five of their members, yet made no reference to their own losses. They also accused Hamas of targeting and killing aid workers. These conflicting narratives remain unverified, with the identities of those deceased still unclear.
The Israeli military shared the statement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on social media but refrained from providing their own detailed account of the incident.
Adding to the tension, at least 13 individuals died and 170 were injured due to Israeli fire aimed at a gathering near a food distribution site managed by GHF in central Gaza, as reported by the al-Awda Hospital. The military indicated they fired warning shots at a crowd posing a possible threat, a considerable distance from the aid location.
Communication lines across Gaza were disrupted, as reported by telecom provider Paltel and the Palestinian telecoms authority, citing damage to a key line during an Israeli operation. The military has denied access to technicians required for repairs. Earlier blackouts have amplified Gaza’s isolation, complicating the ability to summon emergency services post-airstrikes.
The aid initiative, already embroiled in controversy and violence, saw numerous casualties during ongoing conflicts involving food distribution points within Israeli military zones, with witnesses frequently attributing responsibility to the Israeli military. The latter has acknowledged issuing warning shots only when potentially threatened. On another occasion, witnesses claim that members of Abu Shabab’s militia fired upon individuals traveling towards a GHF aid center, resulting in numerous casualties.
The United Nations and several major aid organizations have condemned the Israel and U.S.-backed aid initiative, accusing these entities of weaponizing humanitarian aid amidst Gaza’s crisis, nearing famine levels due to Israel’s blockade and renewed military actions.
Israel has acknowledged its support for armed Palestinian factions as part of efforts to oppose Hamas. Abu Shabab’s militia, known as the Popular Forces, purportedly protects food distribution points established by the Israel- and U.S.-backed GHF in southern Gaza. Meanwhile, the foundation denies any collaboration with Abu Shabab’s group.
The GHF claimed a Hamas-led assault targeted a bus carrying their local aid workers near Khan Younis, leading to multiple deaths and injuries, with fears of additional hostages. The organization condemned these actions as a tragic attack on those risking their lives for humanitarian purposes. Rev. Johnnie Moore, an evangelical advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump and head of GHF, described the incident as “absolute evil” and criticized international bodies for not condemning the act decisively. What transpired was labeled as wickedness by Moore, asserting clear distinctions between good and evil.
Israel and the United States defend the new assistance framework as necessary to prevent impediments to aid distribution due to Hamas’ alleged diversions from the existing U.N.-managed system, which aimed at ensuring widespread access across Gaza. U.N. representatives dispute such claims, highlighting that they face challenges in aid distribution due to Israeli-imposed constraints and Gaza’s deteriorating governance. They argue that the new system’s shortcomings are stark, potentially allowing Israel to manipulate aid access as a means of control, effectively pressing people towards specific locations for relief, predominantly in Rafah which remains a largely deserted military zone at present.
Hamas has vocalized its opposition to the newly imposed system and has issued threats against Palestinians cooperating with the Israeli army. On Wednesday, the Hamas-controlled Sahm unit claimed responsibility for the killings, branding them a retaliation against collaborators. They released footage showing lifeless bodies, alleged to be Abu Shabab’s men, detained and executed for aiding Israel. The authenticity of these images or the context remains unconfirmed.
Eyewitness Mohammed Abu Amin from Khan Younis mentioned local celebrations in response to the killings, branding the deceased as traitors. Conversely, Ghassan Duhine, a self-identified high-ranking official within the Abu Shabab militia, contended they engaged with Sahm and negated claims regarding the identity of deceased fighters.
Amidst escalating lawlessness, Israel has intensified its military campaign, terminating a truce with Hamas in March and initially imposing a rigorous embargo on essentials, later slightly relaxing this blockade. The prolonged conflict has thrust Gaza into disarray, with armed factions plundering aid shipments for personal gain, and Hamas’s police force operating discreetly as Israeli actions intermittently target their infrastructure. Presently, Israeli forces govern more than half of Gaza.
The conflict traces back to an offensive by Hamas-led militants into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, with casualties predominantly comprising civilians. Continued hostage situations persist despite ceasefire agreements and concessions, with only a fraction believed to remain alive. Ongoing military actions have reportedly claimed over 55,000 Palestinian lives, with no clear demarcation between civilian and combatant casualties.
Israel’s escalation has devastated significant portions of Gaza, displacing around 90% of its roughly 2 million residents, with the region heavily reliant on humanitarian interventions as local production capabilities have largely been annihilated.