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UN Chief Calls for Probe into Deaths Near Gaza Aid Site

People look for survivors following an Israeli strike that targeted the home of the Al-Bursh family in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on June 2, 2025. (AFP)
People look for survivors following an Israeli strike that targeted the home of the Al-Bursh family in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on June 2, 2025. (AFP)
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UN Chief Calls for Probe into Deaths Near Gaza Aid Site

People look for survivors following an Israeli strike that targeted the home of the Al-Bursh family in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on June 2, 2025. (AFP)
People look for survivors following an Israeli strike that targeted the home of the Al-Bursh family in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on June 2, 2025. (AFP)

UN chief Antonio Guterres called Monday for an independent investigation into the killing of dozens of Palestinians near a US-backed aid center in Gaza after rescuers blamed the deaths on Israeli fire and the military denied any involvement.

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli gunfire killed at least 31 people and wounded 176 near the aid distribution site in the southern city of Rafah, with AFP photos showing civilians at the scene carting away bodies and medics at nearby hospitals reporting a deluge of gunshot wound victims.

The Israeli military, however, denied its troops had fired on civilians in or around the center, and both it and the aid site's administrator accused Hamas of sowing false rumors.

"I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday. It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food," Guterres said in a statement, without assigning blame for the deaths.

"I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable."

The Israeli government has cooperated with the group running the site, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), to introduce a new mechanism for distributing aid in Gaza that has bypassed the longstanding UN-led system.

The UN has declined to work with the group out of concerns about its neutrality, with some aid agencies saying it appears designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.

- 'Killed right in front of me' -

An eyewitness from the scene in Rafah, Sameh Hamuda, 33, had told AFP he was headed towards the aid site amid a crowd of other Palestinians when "quadcopter drones opened fire on the people, and tanks started shooting".

"Several people were killed right in front of me," he said.

Another witness, Abdullah Barbakh, 58, also told AFP "the army opened fire from drones and tanks".

Following the reports, the Israeli army said an initial inquiry found its troops "did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site".

Army spokesman Effie Defrin said in a video message that "Hamas is doing its best, its utmost, to stop us from" distributing aid, and vowed to "investigate each one of those allegations" against Israeli troops.

"I urge you not to believe every rumor spread by Hamas," he added.

GHF also denied any deaths or injuries took place, adding that "these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas".

Israel has come under increasing international pressure to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza following a more than two-month blockade on aid that was only recently eased.

The UN has warned the entire population of the territory is facing the risk of famine.

It has also reported recent incidents of aid being looted, including by armed individuals.

- 'Points of contention' -

Talks aimed at securing a ceasefire and the return of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 2023 attack that triggered the war have failed to produce a breakthrough.

Fighters took 251 hostages during the attack, 57 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 who the Israeli military says are dead.

After the two sides failed to agree on a new ceasefire proposal last week, Hamas said it was ready to "immediately begin a round of indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on the points of contention".

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, meanwhile, said he had told the army "to continue forward in Gaza against all targets, regardless of any negotiations".

Since a brief truce collapsed in March, Israel has intensified its operations to destroy Hamas.

On Monday, Gaza's civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal said 14 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a house in Gaza, "including six children and three women, in addition to more than 20 missing individuals still under the rubble".

"This house has been bombed before... and people were martyred previously," resident Mousa al-Bursh told AFP.

"The house primarily belongs to the Al-Bursh family, but it shelters many others, more than one family, and we don't know the number of victims inside."

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 4,201 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,470, mostly civilians.

Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

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Arab World

Rains Mark Return of Winter Misery for Gaza's Palestinians

A displaced Palestinian man attempts to clear a water puddle outside his flooded tent amid heavy rainfall in Gaza City's Al-Remal neighbourhood on November 7, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
A displaced Palestinian man attempts to clear a water puddle outside his flooded tent amid heavy rainfall in Gaza City's Al-Remal neighbourhood on November 7, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
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Rains Mark Return of Winter Misery for Gaza's Palestinians

A displaced Palestinian man attempts to clear a water puddle outside his flooded tent amid heavy rainfall in Gaza City's Al-Remal neighbourhood on November 7, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
A displaced Palestinian man attempts to clear a water puddle outside his flooded tent amid heavy rainfall in Gaza City's Al-Remal neighbourhood on November 7, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

Displaced families spent a sleepless night in the Gaza Strip as heavy rain flooded their fragile tents, soaking mattresses and belongings, and turning camp pathways into pools of muddy water.

The rain marks the start of another difficult winter for the more than 1.6 million Palestinians living in tents or other makeshift shelters in the territory, where nearly the entire population has lost its homes during Israel’s campaign triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks.

Majed Al-Omari, who lost a limb during the war, struggled to make his way between tents on crutches after the rains tore down the wooden frame and plastic sheeting of his shelter.

“We will have to sleep in the street tonight, or find somewhere else to stay,” he told The Associated Press.

The UN humanitarian office has said 294,250 families need shelter assistance for the rainy season, but available supplies are enough to provide only partial assistance to 18% of those in need.

It said a lack of funds, slow procurement procedures and delayed approvals by the Israeli authorities mean additional supplies may not reach Palestinians until more than halfway through winter.

Arab World

Yemeni Government Rallies European Support to Confront Houthis, Protect Shipping

Yemen's foreign minister meets with Arab ambassadors in Berlin (SABA)
Yemen's foreign minister meets with Arab ambassadors in Berlin (SABA)
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Yemeni Government Rallies European Support to Confront Houthis, Protect Shipping

Yemen's foreign minister meets with Arab ambassadors in Berlin (SABA)
Yemen's foreign minister meets with Arab ambassadors in Berlin (SABA)

The Yemeni government has intensified its diplomatic efforts in Berlin to mobilize European political and economic support for confronting Houthi escalation and restoring state institutions.

The diplomatic push comes amid warnings that the threat posed by the Iran-backed group could extend to international maritime security and global trade interests, alongside calls to correct what the government describes as misleading narratives about the Yemeni crisis.

During a series of meetings with German officials and lawmakers, Arab diplomats, experts and representatives of research centers, Foreign Minister and Minister of Expatriates Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba said continued international tolerance of Houthi violations had emboldened the group to expand its destabilizing activities and extend its threats beyond Yemen to vital regional shipping routes.

At a roundtable organized by Germany's Körber Foundation as part of the Berlin Political Breakfast, Al-Zouba outlined the roots of Yemen's crisis, beginning with the Houthi coup against the national consensus and internationally recognized government in September 2014.

She recalled the group's armed takeover of the capital, Sanaa, and its undermining of the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, leading to the latest military escalation and attempts to target international shipping in the Bab Al-Mandab Strait.

Al-Zouba said the group's escalating actions posed a direct threat to regional and international peace and security, warning that international silence and tolerance of its violations gave the Houthis greater room to continue threatening global trade.

Expanding Houthi Threat

As part of the same diplomatic efforts, Al-Zouba warned during another roundtable organized by Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation that the Houthi threat was expanding to regional security and international shipping.

She pointed to attacks on shipping routes and coordination with terrorist groups in the Horn of Africa, including Somalia's Al-Shabaab.

Al-Zouba linked the Houthis' rejection of peace efforts and attempts to establish control over the Bab Al-Mandab Strait to the launch of Operation Fajr Yemen.

She said the operation aimed to restore state institutions and protect maritime routes against threats to international shipping and trade.

The minister urged participating officials, experts and members of Germany's governing party to convey an accurate picture of developments in Yemen to their institutions and policymakers and to correct misleading narratives about the crisis.

She stressed the need to ensure that Yemenis' voices were heard and that the military escalation's humanitarian consequences received appropriate attention.

Al-Zouba emphasized that political, economic and humanitarian support for the Yemeni government was essential to strengthening its ability to fulfill its responsibilities, consolidate stability and restore state institutions.

Siege of Taiz and Collective Punishment

The humanitarian situation in the city of Taiz featured prominently in the minister's discussions.

She highlighted the continuing Houthi siege and its consequences, including restrictions on the entry of food, medicine and essential supplies, the closure of healthcare facilities and obstruction of efforts to evacuate patients and wounded civilians through safe corridors.

Al-Zouba described these practices as collective punishment against civilians, saying they had intensified the suffering of the most vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.

She added that the siege had caused civilian deaths because people were unable to obtain necessary medical care and supplies.

During a meeting with Armin Laschet, chairman of the German Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee, Al-Zouba discussed developments in Yemen and their regional repercussions.

She stressed that threats to freedom of navigation and global trade represented an extension of the Houthis' destabilizing activities since the group seized control of state institutions.

Al-Zouba also outlined the internationally recognized government's efforts, operating from the temporary capital Aden, to fulfill its public service and development responsibilities.

She emphasized that stabilizing state institutions and securing their own revenue sources were essential to addressing the humanitarian crisis sustainably.

The foreign minister called on Germany and European partners to provide urgent political and economic support to the government, with particular emphasis on strengthening national capabilities.

These include the coast guard and maritime border surveillance, which would improve Yemen's ability to combat the smuggling of Iranian weapons and military technology to the Houthis.

According to Yemen's official media, Laschet expressed concern over Houthi human rights violations, particularly the recruitment of children and deteriorating living conditions among civilians.

He stressed that attacks on shipping in the Red Sea threatened the economic security of European Union countries and the wider world.

The German official also emphasized the need for Germany's parliament and government, in coordination with the European Union, to develop a new strategy for addressing the Yemeni crisis, one that keeps pace with rapidly evolving developments and protects regional and international security.

Arab World

Hamas Awaits Positive Response from Board of Peace to Salvage Gaza Agreement

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and US President Donald Trump sign the Gaza ceasefire agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh in October 2025 (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and US President Donald Trump sign the Gaza ceasefire agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh in October 2025 (Egyptian Presidency)
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Hamas Awaits Positive Response from Board of Peace to Salvage Gaza Agreement

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and US President Donald Trump sign the Gaza ceasefire agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh in October 2025 (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and US President Donald Trump sign the Gaza ceasefire agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh in October 2025 (Egyptian Presidency)

Tony Blair, a prominent member of the Board of Peace, is seeking to salvage the Gaza ceasefire agreement by pressing Israel to begin implementing some of its provisions in stages, pending full implementation, following the conclusion of Israel's Knesset elections in recent days.

Meanwhile, Hamas is awaiting a positive response concerning the fate and future of the agreement, as security and humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip continue to deteriorate.

Blair met Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday morning, followed by a meeting that afternoon with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will lead a caretaker government until a new administration is formed.

On Friday afternoon, Blair also met Gadi Eisenkot, a potential candidate for prime minister, to discuss the situation in Gaza.

According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, Blair held meetings with senior Israeli officials over the past three days to discuss advancing US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan, which was agreed upon in late September 2025 before taking effect with the ceasefire announced on October 10 of that year.

The broadcaster and Israel's Channel 13 reported that Blair emphasized the need to allow the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) to enter the territory and assume its responsibilities.

He also called for allowing the International Stabilization Force (ISF), which is still being assembled, to begin deploying soon to designated locations.

These would constitute initial steps toward bringing the weapons of Hamas and other Palestinian factions under control.

Blair's visit coincided with a trip by the Board of Peace's High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov. It was not immediately clear whether Mladenov participated in Blair's meetings or held separate discussions.

Both Blair and Mladenov visited the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel, where senior military officers from dozens of countries are monitoring implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

According to Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, US pressure to advance Trump's plan to end the war has continued even after the Israeli elections, despite stalled talks with Hamas and ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza.

The newspaper noted that developments on the ground showed no indication of meaningful progress toward the next phase.

Citing sources familiar with the details, the newspaper reported that negotiations remain frozen, with no substantial progress in implementing the US plan.

This comes as Hamas remains armed and continues rebuilding its ranks, while the Israeli military continues operations aimed at thwarting its plans, with those operations intensifying recently.

The newspaper argued that the security and political situation would become more complicated because of the political turmoil following the Knesset election results.

Israel's political system is facing uncertainty amid the absence of a clear majority and questions over whether a stable government can be formed.

The newspaper said this directly affects Israel's ability to formulate a long-term policy toward Gaza, particularly regarding how to proceed with the American plan.

While Washington is seeking progress on Trump's initiative, Israel remains uncertain about its political future in the coming months.

Israel is skeptical about the prospects of successfully implementing or advancing any new measures, partly because Hamas refuses to disarm or surrender control of its weapons.

Citing Israeli officials, the Hebrew-language Walla news website reported several days ago that the political situation following the Knesset elections has further complicated efforts to advance the agreement.

It added that the Israeli military is also making preparations for a possible operation to occupy Gaza City in an effort to force Hamas to disarm.

Hamas Awaits a Response

Hamas, which appears to have few options remaining, is growing increasingly impatient over the failure to implement previously reached agreements, particularly as daily killings and bombardment continue and humanitarian conditions deteriorate.

In a statement documenting daily Israeli violations, Hamas said: "Peace is not measured by the signing of agreements alone, but by an end to the killing and the return of life to our people in Gaza."

In a video message published on its website, the movement added: "Gaza has never been a marginal consideration in political calculations, and the lives of its people must not be treated as something that can be postponed."

A Hamas official in the Gaza Strip told Asharq Al-Awsat that the movement is awaiting a response from mediators who are in direct contact with Board of Peace officials, following Blair's diplomatic efforts and meetings with Israeli leaders.

The official explained that the mediators had informed Hamas that the Board of Peace intended to undertake new efforts to move the Gaza agreement forward, and that the movement would await the outcome of those efforts.

Asked whether Hamas was counting on stronger US pressure, particularly following calls for a change in Washington's policy toward Israel after the Republican Party's defeat in the midterm elections, the official said such a possibility existed.

However, he added that past experience did not suggest the United States had any genuine intention of pressuring Israel, which was why progress remained extremely slow.