Humanitarian workers killed in Gaza bus ambush, Israel blames Hamas for the killings

Israel has accused Hamas militants of killing five Palestinians employed by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), apparently aiming to disrupt their food distribution operations.

GHF stated that one of its buses was ambushed late Wednesday while traveling to an aid center near the southern city of Khan Younis. The bus was carrying local workers collaborating with a U.S. team to deliver essential supplies.

COGAT, the Israeli defense agency responsible for coordinating humanitarian affairs with the Palestinians, said, “Hamas murdered five humanitarian workers from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, with others kidnapped.”

It added, “The international community cannot ignore Hamas’s crimes against humanitarian workers.”

Hamas has not commented on the incident.

Social media in Gaza reported that Hamas targeted the bus because it allegedly carried people linked to Yasser Abu Shabab, a leader of a large clan challenging Hamas’s dominance in the area and reportedly armed by Israel.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s health authority said at least 30 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Thursday, as violence and destruction continued across the coastal enclave.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they killed three militants who fired an anti-tank missile at Israeli soldiers. They also announced the arrest of several Hamas members in Syria overnight, accusing them of plotting attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF personnel.

Israel has been fighting to eliminate Hamas for over 20 months following deadly attacks by the group on October 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing war. Efforts to end the conflict through negotiations have so far failed.

Despite the bus attack, GHF said it continued food distribution on Thursday, handing out food boxes early at one site before closing its gates.

CHAOS AND TERROR

Since launching operations in Gaza in late May, GHF has distributed over 16 million meals, overseeing a new food distribution model criticized by the United Nations as neither impartial nor neutral.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claims more than 160 people have been killed by Israeli fire near aid centers. The humanitarian effort has repeatedly devolved into chaos, with desperate locals scrambling for limited supplies.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), wrote on X, “This model will not solve the worsening hunger crisis. The dystopian ‘Hunger Games’ cannot become the norm.”

He added, “The UN, including @UNRWA, has the knowledge, expertise, and community trust to provide dignified and safe assistance. Let the humanitarians do their work.”

Israel has repeatedly called for UNRWA’s disbandment, accusing it of ties to Hamas, which UNRWA denies.

In addition to GHF’s efforts, Israel is allowing trucks carrying flour into Gaza to supply the few bakeries still operating.

For the first time in months, Israel permitted humanitarian trucks to enter northern Gaza overnight, with 56 lorries carrying supplies from the U.N.’s World Food Programme crossing into the heavily damaged region.

Meanwhile, a unit of Gaza’s Hamas-run police said it killed 12 members of an Israeli-backed militia after detaining them early Thursday. Earlier, an Israel-supported aid group reported that Hamas attacked a bus carrying its Palestinian workers, killing at least eight.

The militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, said its fighters attacked Hamas and killed five militants but did not mention its own losses. It also accused Hamas of detaining and killing aid workers. These conflicting claims and identities of the dead have not been independently verified.

The Israeli military shared the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s statement on social media but did not provide its own account.

Separately, internet and phone lines across Gaza were down, according to telecom providers Paltel and the Palestinian telecoms authority. They said a key line was cut during an Israeli operation, and the military has not allowed technicians to repair it.

Connectivity watchdog NetBlocks confirmed a major disruption, and the Israeli military said it is investigating the reports. Previous outages have worsened Gaza’s isolation and made it harder for residents to contact emergency responders after airstrikes.