Recent reports indicate that Israeli forces fired on a peace convoy in Gaza, resulting in significant controversy and international concern. The incident involved an aid convoy coordinated by the World Food Programme (WFP) that was struck by Israeli gunfire near the Wadi Gaza Bridge, despite being clearly marked and having received multiple clearances from Israeli authorities. The WFP vehicle was hit with at least ten bullets, although no injuries were reported among the staff. Following this attack, the WFP has suspended all staff movements in Gaza, citing a failure in the deconfliction system designed to protect humanitarian workers and convoys Outlook India and Common Dreams and UN News
The United States has called on Israel to “immediately rectify” its actions after confirming that the Israeli military was responsible for firing at a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) humanitarian aid convoy in Gaza. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday evening, was attributed to a communication error between Israeli army units.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized the need for the protection of humanitarian workers, stating on social media that “Israel must ensure they are protected.” Additionally, U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, reported that Israel informed Washington that the shots were fired due to miscommunication within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
#BREAKING #NEWS #Israel #IsraelisGenocidalState
🚫Israel bombed a US humanitarian aid convoy, despite prior coordination with the Israeli army. This attack resulted in the deaths of 5 individuals.
Additionally, Israeli forces fired upon a World Food Programme vehicle shortly… pic.twitter.com/HFDFX96tyO
— El’Gido (@Elg1do) August 30, 2024
During a Thursday UN Security Council meeting on Gaza, Wood urged Israel to address the systemic issues that led to this incident. As of Friday afternoon, there had been no official comment from the IDF or any Israeli officials regarding the shooting.
Following the attack, the WFP suspended all movements of its staff across Gaza. The organization reported that at least 10 bullets hit one of its clearly marked vehicles near an Israeli military checkpoint at the Wadi Gaza bridge. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
In a separate event, the IDF stated it had targeted a group of armed men who hijacked an aid convoy in southern Gaza. According to the military, a convoy from the American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) organization was coordinated with the IDF and was moving into the Rafah area when armed men commandeered a vehicle at the front of the convoy. The IDF claimed it conducted a targeted strike on the vehicle containing the gunmen without harming the rest of the convoy.
Reports from the Guardian and the Washington Post indicated that five people were killed in this incident, though the sources did not specify whether the victims were combatants or civilians. The IDF confirmed that it had communicated with Anera representatives who verified that all organization members and the humanitarian aid reached their destination safely.
Anera later clarified that only one person in the convoy was an employee of their organization; the rest were employees of a partner transport company. Sandra Rasheed, Anera’s Palestine Country Director, described the incident as shocking and noted that some individuals employed by the transport company were killed in the attack.
This incident has added to the scrutiny Israel faces over its actions in Gaza, especially concerning attacks on humanitarian convoys. The recent attack follows an earlier incident in April when the IDF inadvertently struck a World Central Kitchen aid convoy in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of seven aid workers.
Israel strikes aid convoy organized by U.S. humanitarian group, killing 5 -WAPO
“Militants” is word ‘The Jewish State’ uses to justify EVERY CRIME it commits. US Media/Govt has ACCEPTED their BLATANT CRIMINAL ACTS EVERY DAY w/that word about Palestinians! https://t.co/JrX7goyWpo
— DNisa (@helpher86) August 30, 2024
Amidst these tensions, the UN is preparing to vaccinate approximately 640,000 children in Gaza against polio after detecting the Strip’s first case of the disease in 25 years. Israel has agreed to localized humanitarian truces to support the vaccination campaign.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which began on October 7 when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on southern Israel, has resulted in extensive casualties. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, over 40,000 people have been killed or are presumed dead, though these figures have not been independently verified. Israel claims that it has killed approximately 17,000 combatants and an additional 1,000 terrorists within Israel since the outbreak of the war.
Key Points:
i. The U.S. has urged Israel to rectify its actions after the IDF admitted to firing on a WFP humanitarian convoy due to a communication error.
ii. The WFP suspended movements in Gaza following the incident, which saw at least 10 bullets strike a marked vehicle near an Israeli checkpoint.
iii. The IDF also reported striking a group of gunmen who had hijacked a separate aid convoy in Gaza, resulting in casualties.
iv. Anera confirmed that some employees of a transport company were killed in the attack, while their own staff member was unharmed.
v. The UN is preparing a mass vaccination campaign in Gaza amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian challenges.
Conner T – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
