Aid group says several killed in Israeli attack on Gaza hospital convoy

An Israeli missile hit a convoy carrying medical supplies and fuel to an Emirati hospital in the Gaza Strip, killing several people from a local transport company, the American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) group has announced.

The strike killed several people employed by a transportation company that the aid group was using to bring supplies to the Emirates Red Crescent Hospital in Rafah, Sandra Rasheed, Aneraโ€™s director for the Palestinian territory, stated on Friday.

The strike happened Thursday on Salah al-Din Street in the Gaza Strip and hit the convoyโ€™s first vehicle.

โ€œThe convoy, which was coordinated by Anera and approved by Israeli authorities, included an Anera employee who was fortunately unharmed,โ€ Rasheed said in a statement cited by The Associated Press news agency.

โ€œDespite this devastating incident, our understanding is that the remaining vehicles in the convoy were able to continue and successfully deliver the aid to the hospital. We are urgently seeking further details about what happened.โ€

In a later statement, Anera said four Palestinians were killed in the strike.

It identified the dead as โ€œfour community members with experience in previous missions and engagement in community securityโ€.

They โ€œstepped forward and requested to take command of the leading vehicle, citing concern that the route was unsafe and at risk of being lootedโ€, the Anera statement read.

โ€œThe four community members were neither vetted nor coordinated in advance, and Israeli authorities allege that the lead car was carrying numerous weapons. The Israeli air strike was carried out without any prior warning or communication,” it added.

Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on other aid convoys in the Gaza Strip.

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced a pause in the movement of its employees in the Gaza Strip โ€œuntil further noticeโ€ after one of its vehicles was hit by gunfire just metres from an Israeli-controlled checkpoint.

The incident took place on Tuesday night as the vehicle was approaching the Wadi Gaza Bridge checkpoint.

โ€œNone of the employees onboard were physically harmed,โ€ the WFP said in a statement.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, blamed Israel for the attack, telling reporters in New York that the โ€œclearly markedโ€ humanitarian vehicle was โ€œstruck 10 timesโ€ by Israeli gunfire, including with bullets targeting front windows.

Five of the bullets were on the driverโ€™s side and some on the windscreen.

The team was returning from a mission to Karem Abu Salem, known as Kerem Shalom to Israelis, with two WFP armoured vehicles after escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian cargo on the way to Gazaโ€™s central area.

Dujarric stated the convoyโ€™s movements had been coordinated with the Israeli military and it had clearance to approach.

โ€œThis is the latest incident to underscore that systems in place for coordination are not working,โ€ he continued, adding that โ€œwe will continue to work with the [Israeli military] to ensure that incidents like that do not happen againโ€.

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain described the attack as โ€œunacceptableโ€ and said it was โ€œthe latest in a series of unnecessary incidents that have endangered the livesโ€ of her team members in Gaza.

โ€œAs last nightโ€™s events show, the current deconfliction system is failing and this cannot go on any longer,โ€ she added.

In late July, UNICEF announced two of its vehicles were hit with live ammunition while waiting at a designated holding point. An Israeli attack in April hit three World Central Kitchen vehicles, killing seven people.

According to the UN, more than 280 aid workers have been killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip since October 7.

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