Palestinians are mourning the bodies of their relatives who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beit Rahiya, the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday. Israeli forces say they are targeting “terrorists” operating drones in the area. But Mahmoud Bassador, head of Gaza’s civil defense, says they were aid workers at the London-based Al-Kar Foundation, along with two journalists working with the group. Jehad alshrafi/ap hidden caption
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Jehad alshrafi/ap
Tel Aviv, Israel — Two consecutive airstrikes in northern Beitrahiya in Gaza city, northern Gaza city, killed at least nine people on Saturday, according to Gaza civil defense. Witnesses and Gaza health officials say some of the people killed were aid workers and journalists.
Israeli forces say they are targeting two terrorists operating drones in the area. In a statement, it said it collided with those individuals and struck again when “many additional terrorists” gathered the drone operating devices and entered the vehicle.
But Mahmoud Bassador, head of Gaza’s civil defense, told NPR they are aid workers at the London-based Al-Khaea Foundation and several journalists working with the group.
“They wanted to build some tents for the displaced people in the area. They used drones to photograph the coordinates of the location and film them,” Basal said.
A local worker with the Al-Khair Foundation confirmed these details with NPR and said the workers were receiving assistance from the neighborhood for the Ramadan Iftar celebration. Workers spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not permitted to speak to the media.
The area where the strike occurred has been designated as a “free area of movement” by Israeli forces, far from the “buffer zone” along the outer edge of Gaza, where travel is restricted.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for further comment on the incident.
In a statement about the extremist group’s telegram channel, Hamas called the strike “escalation” and “a deliberate obstruction of the opportunity to complete the implementation of the (ceasefire) contract.”
The attack is due to stagnant negotiations for the continued vulnerable ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which began on January 19th. The first phase of the transaction expired earlier this month, with Hamas pushing for the commencement of a second phase. Israel has refused and is seeking new plans. The new plan does not have provisions for the long-term purpose of the conflict.
This is not the first time that Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli fire in a nearly two-month ceasefire, but it is the single most deadly incident to date. More than 150 Palestinians were killed by Israel during the ceasefire, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
Meanwhile, Israel’s blockade of aid to Gaza — including electricity — is now in its third week. Israel imposed a lockdown as a way to pressure Hamas to agree to the deal he wanted. International aid groups say the lockdown has had a devastating impact on two million Palestinians in Gaza. There, after more than 15 months of war, the conditions are already tragic, calling them collective punishment and violation of international law.
Anas Baba of NPR contributed reports from Itay Stern from Gaza, Tel Aviv, Ahmed Abuhamda from Cairo and Abu Bakr Bashir from London.
