By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Adam Makary and Menna AlaaElDin
CAIRO (Reuters) -The Israeli army mentioned on Saturday it had killed a militant who took half within the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas assaults on Israel and who it mentioned was employed by a U.S.-based charity, World Central Kitchen, in Gaza.
The household of the person, Ahed Azmi Qdeih, mentioned the Israeli allegations have been false and meant to justify his illegal killing. They mentioned he was an engineer who devoted his life to charitable work.
The army mentioned that he had taken half within the assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel and was beneath surveillance however didn’t supply any proof. Reuters couldn’t independently confirm whether or not he took half within the assault final yr.
World Central Kitchen confirmed the airstrike and mentioned it had no data about an worker concerned within the Oct. 7, 2023 assault.
“We are heartbroken to share that a vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen colleagues was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza,” it mentioned in an announcement posted on X. “World Central Kitchen had no knowledge that any individual in the vehicle had alleged ties to the October 7th Hamas attack.”
The charity group mentioned it was pausing operations in Gaza, including that it was working with incomplete info and was urgently searching for extra particulars.
Hamas didn’t instantly remark.
The official Palestinian information company WAFA reported that three workers of the charity have been killed when an Israeli strike focused a car in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Medics mentioned a complete of 5 folks have been killed.
In a later assault in Khan Younis, medics mentioned at the least 9 Palestinians have been killed when an Israeli airstrike hit a automotive close to a crowd receiving flour, a car that was utilized by safety personnel tasked with overseeing help deliveries into Gaza.
The Israeli army says that it doesn’t goal civilians and accuses Hamas of working from civilian amenities and utilizing Gaza’s inhabitants as human shields, which the group denies.
A minimum of 32 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes throughout the enclave in a single day and into Saturday, Gaza medics mentioned, together with seven killed in a strike on a home in central Gaza Metropolis, in keeping with Gaza officers.
NEW CEASEFIRE EFFORTS
In the meantime leaders of Hamas have been anticipated to reach in Cairo on Saturday for ceasefire talks with Egyptian officers, days after Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon, two officers of the group informed Reuters.
The go to is the primary since america introduced earlier this week it will revive efforts in collaboration with Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey to barter a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Hamas delegation is predicted to satisfy with Egyptian safety officers to discover methods to achieve a ceasefire cope with Israel that might safe the discharge of hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners.
Progress prior to now has been restricted in a collection of on-off talks over months.
Hamas is searching for an settlement that may finish the struggle whereas Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the struggle will finish solely when Hamas is eradicated.
Israel’s army marketing campaign in Gaza has killed at the least 44,382 folks and displaced almost all the enclave’s inhabitants at the least as soon as, Gaza officers say. Huge swathes of Gaza lie in ruins.
The battle was triggered 13 months in the past when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities, killing about 1,200 folks and abducting over 250 hostages, in keeping with Israeli officers.
