According to I24 News, Hamas massacred 10 people working for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, who sought to deliver badly needed humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.
By Rachel Avraham
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) accused Hamas of massacring its aid workers, attacking a bus carrying more than 24 Palestinian employees working with the American company to bring aid to Gazans, I24 News reported. According to the report, the GHF said it knows of at least eight people killed, more wounded, and fears that others may have been abducted. I24NEWS learned from a Gazan source that the death toll had risen to 10.
“We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms,” the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said. While Hamas is claiming that it targeted Popular Forces, a rival militia led by tribal leader Yasser Abu Shabab, Ghassan Duhine, deputy to Abu Shabab, denied claims that members of the militia were killed by Hamas, I24 reported. “Those who were killed by terrorist Hamas are innocent aid workers,” Duhine said, adding: “We will not forgive the crimes of Hamas against our people and we will seek retribution.”
“These were aid workers,” the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said. “Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons, and friends, who were risking their lives everyday to help others. Our hearts are broken and our thoughts and prayers are with every victim, every family, and every person still unaccounted for.”
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s leadership slammed Hamas as “cowardly murderers” and “absolute evil,” and accused the UN and Western nations of failing to condemn the massacre, the Times of Israel reported. According to the report, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said Hamas members threatened hospital staff from treating the employees who were wounded in the massacre, adding that “all wounded and dead local workers were piled in the Nasser Hospital parking lot,” where, as of 2:00 p.m. Thursday, they have remained without treatment.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s interim director, John Acree, said his organization had considered closing its centers on Thursday because of the bus ambush, but in the end, opted to remain open, Reuters reported. “We decided that the best response to Hamas’ cowardly murderers was to keep delivering food for the people of Gaza who are counting on us,” he said in a statement.
Abu Shabab released a statement on his Facebook page denouncing images posted on social media showing Gazans massacred by Hamas as it seeks to safeguard its 18-year rule in the war-torn coastal strip, Reuters reported. “Rumors of executions and killings are being spread by the corrupt, mercenaries, and criminals of Hamas in an attempt to sow fear in the hearts of those who seek change and liberation from terrorism, oppression, and its unjust rule,” he told Reuters.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation concluded in I24: “The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation holds Hamas fully responsible for taking the lives of our dedicated workers who have been distributing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people at the foundation’s sites in central and southern Gaza. Tonight, the world must see this for what it is: an attack on humanity. We call on the international community to immediately condemn Hamas for this unprovoked attack and continued threat against our people simply trying to feed the Palestinian people.”
Photo from CBN News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dssgsuXMMcM
