by EuroNews with AP
It’s published
At least 18 people were killed on the strip on Thursday after an Israeli strike struck the streets that had collected powder distributed by Gaza police forces.
The strike in the central town of Deir Al-Balah appeared to have targeted members of the SAHM. Sahm is a security force tasked with stopping the looters and cracking down on merchants who sell stolen aid at stolen prices.
The death toll from the strike included seven SAHM members, according to the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the victims were filmed. There were no immediate comments from the Israeli military.
The unit is part of the Hamas-led Ministry of Home Affairs, but includes members of other factions. Israel accused Hamas of stealing aid and using it to support the rules in the enclave.
Efforts to distribute food by the United Nations and other aid groups have been plagued by armed gangs plundering trucks and crowds of people loading supplies from convoys.
Meanwhile, a group of influential Gaza residents announced Wednesday that aid convoys have launched independent efforts to protect against looting.
A national gathering of Palestinian tribes, clans and families said they helped escort the unusual shipping of flour that had entered northern Gaza that night.
However, it was unclear whether the association coordinated with the United Nations or Israeli authorities.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz once again accused Hamas of stealing aid in northern Gaza and called on Israeli forces to prevent theft.
The gathering of the nation rebutted the statement, saying the accusations were intended to justify “aggressive practices” by the Israeli military, and that the aid was “fully secured” by the tribes.
