US-backed Gaza aid group halts distribution

CAIRO/JERUSALEM/UNITED NATIONS - The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation did not give out any aid on Wednesday as it pressed Israel to boost civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its distribution sites, after dozens of Palestinians seeking aid were killed this week.

The GHF said it has asked the Israeli military to "guide foot traffic in a way that minimizes confusion or escalation risks" near military positions; develop clearer guidance for civilians; and enhance training to support civilian safety.

Hospital officials have said more than 80 people were shot dead and hundreds wounded near distribution points in a three-day period from Sunday, including at least 27 killed on Tuesday.

Locals say Israeli soldiers opened fire on the crowds, who mass before dawn to seek food. The military has denied this, but acknowledged on Tuesday that soldiers had fired at "suspects" who had ignored warning shots and were approaching their lines.

"Our top priority remains ensuring the safety and dignity of civilians receiving aid," said a GHF spokesperson. An Israeli military spokesperson warned civilians against moving in areas leading to GHF sites on Wednesday, deeming them "combat zones".

The new aid distribution process for Gaza's two million-plus population from just three sites was launched in the midst of a fierce new offensive by Israel since late last month. The UN and other aid groups say the model, which uses private US security and logistics workers, militarises aid.

Violence continued to pummel the enclave.

The Gaza health ministry said Israeli strikes had killed at least 95 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, including women and children at a school housing displaced families that was hit near the southern city of Khan Younis.

Israel announced that one of its soldiers had died in the fighting after three deaths reported a day earlier, as its forces continued their months-long battle to eliminate Hamas militants and free the remaining hostages still held in Gaza.

CEASEFIRE DEMAND

The UN Security Council is set to vote on Wednesday on a demand for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and humanitarian access across Gaza, where malnutrition is widespread and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade in late May.

"It is unacceptable. Civilians are risking, and in several instances losing, their lives just trying to get food," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday, adding that the aid distribution model backed by the US and Israel was "all a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what is going on."

The newly created GHF said on Tuesday that it has given out more than seven million meals since it started operations a week ago. GHF Interim Executive Director John Acree urged humanitarians in Gaza: "Work with us and we will get your aid delivered to those who are depending on it." Experts say Gaza's entire population is at risk of famine despite successive efforts to boost aid. Jordan last year spearheaded humanitarian air drops, while the US briefly installed a floating aid pier, but it was beset by challenges.

The UN has long-blamed Israel and lawlessness in the enclave for hindering the delivery of aid into Gaza and its distribution throughout the war zone. Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies.

The 10 elected members of the UN Security Council have asked for the 15-member body to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution that demands "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties."

The draft text, seen by Reuters, also demands the release of all hostages held by Hamas and others, and the immediate lifting of all restrictions on the entry of aid and its safe and unhindered distribution, including by the UN, throughout Gaza.

"The time to act has already passed," Slovenia's UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar told Reuters. "It is our historical responsibility not to remain silent."

As US President Donald Trump's administration tries to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, it was not immediately clear if Washington would veto the draft text, as it traditionally has done with resolutions not to Israel's liking.

Israel has rejected calls for an unconditional or permanent ceasefire, saying Hamas cannot be allowed to remain in Gaza.

A spokesperson for the US mission to the UN said: "We cannot preview our actions currently under consideration."

A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members - the United States, Russia, China, Britain or France - to pass.

The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Many of those killed or captured were civilians.

Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. They do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants but say civilians have borne the brunt of the attacks and that thousands more bodies have been lost under rubble.