Aid sites shut, as Israel issues 'combat zones' warning

A US and Israeli-backed group operating aid sites in the Gaza Strip announced the temporary closure of the facilities yesterday, with the Israeli army warning that roads leading to distribution centres were “considered combat zones”.

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The announcement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) follows a string of deadly incidents near the distribution sites it operates that have sparked condemnation from the United Nations.

Israeli bombardment on Wednesday killed at least 16 people in the Gaza Strip, including 12 in a single strike on a tent housing displaced people, the Palestinian territory's civil defence agency told AFP.

On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF aid site, with the military saying the incident was under investigation.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the deaths of people seeking food aid as “unacceptable”, and the world body’s rights chief condemned attacks on civilians as “a war crime” following a similar incident near the same site on Sunday.

Israel recently eased its blockade of Gaza, but the UN says the territory's entire population remains at risk of famine.

The GHF said its “distribution centres will be closed for renovation, reorganisation and efficiency improvement work” yesterday and would resume operations on today.

The Israeli army, which confirmed the temporary closure, warned against travelling “on roads leading to the distribution centres, which are considered combat zones”.

The GHF, officially a private effort with opaque funding, began operations a week ago but the UN and major aid groups have refused to co-operate with it over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.