Over 30 Palestinians killed trying to reach US group's food distribution sites: Gaza authorities
Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip) (AP/PTI): Israeli troops opened fire on Saturday toward crowds of Palestinians seeking food from distribution hubs run by a US and Israeli-backed group in southern Gaza, killing at least 32 people, according to witnesses and hospital officials.
The two incidents occurred near hubs operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
The organisation launched operations in late May with backing from the US and Israel.
The two governments are seeking to replace the traditional UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, saying that Hamas siphon off supplies. The UN denies the allegation.
While the GHF says it has distributed millions of meals to hungry Palestinians, local health officials and witnesses say that hundreds of people have been killed by Israeli army fire as they try to reach the distribution hubs.
The army, which is not at the sites but secures them from a distance, says it only fires warning shots if crowds get too close to its forces.
The GHF, which employs private armed guards, says there have been no deadly shootings at its sites, though this week, 20 people were killed at one of its locations, most of them in a stampede.
The group accused Hamas agitators of causing a panic, but gave no evidence to back the claim.
The army and GHF did not immediately comment on Saturday's violence.
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US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
