The UK-registered Al Khair Foundation has informed the BBC that a group of charity workers has been killed in Israeli strikes in northern Gaza. According to the charity, eight workers, including volunteers and journalists documenting their activities, were killed when their vehicles were targeted on Saturday. This incident was described by Hamas as a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.

The Israeli military claims that it struck “two terrorists who were identified operating a drone that posed a threat to Israeli troops” and then targeted “additional terrorists” who arrived at the scene. However, the charity strongly rejects these allegations and asserts that members of its team were not terrorists.

Qasim Rashid Ahmad, the founder and chairman of the charity, told the BBC that the team was in the area to set up tents and document the process for the charity’s promotional efforts. He explained that two cameramen were hit when they returned to their vehicle, and other team members who rushed to the scene were later struck by an Israeli drone that had followed them to the charity’s second car.

Several others were injured and rushed to the Indonesian Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the group, denounced Israel’s actions as a “horrific massacre” targeting journalists and humanitarian workers.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which has been in place since January, is currently at an impasse, raising concerns of a potential return to fighting. The conflict between the two parties began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza. In response, Israel launched a massive military offensive, resulting in the deaths of over 48,300 Palestinians, as reported by Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20d4ylyx57o