ISLAMABAD: French Ambassador to Pakistan Nicolas Galey on Friday night highlighted the need to defend fundamental human rights, particularly the right to security, which, according to him, faced growing threats amid escalating global conflicts.
Speaking at the French National Day celebration, the ambassador said France was working actively to prevent further deterioration of the international security environment.
“To address these crises, France is mobilising to prevent escalation, reduce tensions, maintain dialogue and advance solutions through multilateral frameworks, beginning with the United Nations,” he said, noting that only multilateralism can deliver just and lasting peace.
Every year, the residence of Ambassador Nicolas Galey comes alive with a grand celebration to mark the national day, with a significant gathering of guests and an elaborate spread of delicacies.
The ambassador also underscored France’s support for Ukraine in confronting Russia.
He highlighted that strengthening defence capabilities remained vital to preserving not only national freedom but also the liberties France has championed for over two centuries.
Reflecting on more than three years of diplomatic engagement in Pakistan, he expressed satisfaction over the steady progress in bilateral relations.
“Our leaders, President Macron and Prime Minister Sharif, have met frequently, including last December, when they agreed to enhance cooperation through business-to-business contacts,” he noted.
Educational exchanges continue to flourish, with an increasing number of Pakistani students pursuing studies in France. The ambassador called for expanding collaboration into other sectors, citing Pakistan’s improved economic and financial performance in recent years, which has attracted the interest of French companies.
“Pakistan has immense assets to play its full part in the global economy and in the transitions needed for a sustainable future,” he said.
“Your youth, engineers, entrepreneurs and creative professionals are highly regarded internationally.”
In his remarks, Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb extended felicitations on behalf of the Government of Pakistan. He appreciated French contributions to philosophy, literature, art and political thought, and their profound imprint on global civilisation.
He said Pakistan sought continued advocacy from France for a fair and supportive framework within the EU.
“We also request enhanced technical and financial cooperation in alignment with Pakistan’s energy transition and climate resilience priorities. There is ample room to enhance trade and investment. Pakistan offers attractive investment opportunities in a range of sectors, including renewable energy, agriculture, tourism, hospitality, livestock and infrastructure development, including minerals and mining,” the minister said.
LONDON: Commercial ships still sailing through the Red Sea are broadcasting messages about their nationality and even religion on their public tracking systems to avoid being targeted by Yemen’s Houthis after deadly attacks this week.
The Red Sea is a critical waterway for oil and commodities but traffic has dropped sharply since Houthi attacks off Yemen’s coast began in Nov 2023 in what the Iran-aligned group said was in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war.
The group sank two ships this week after months of calm and its leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi reiterated there would be no passage for any company transporting goods connected to Israel.
In recent days more ships sailing through the southern Red Sea and the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait have added messages to their AIS public tracking profiles that can be seen when clicking on a vessel.
Messages have included referring to an all-Chinese crew and management, and flagging the presence of armed guards on board.
“All Crew Muslim,” read one message, while others made clear the ships had no connection to Israel, according to MarineTraffic and LSEG ship-tracking AIS data.
Maritime security sources said this was a sign of growing desperation to avoid attack by Houthi commandos or deadly drones, but they also thought it was unlikely to make any difference.
Houthi intelligence preparation was “much deeper and forward-leaning”, one source said.
Vessels in the broader fleets of both ships attacked and sunk by the Houthis this week had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, shipping analysis showed.
Maritime security sources said even though shipping companies must step up due diligence on any tangential link to Israel before sailing through the Red Sea, the risk of attack was still high.
In March 2024, the Houthis hit the Chinese-operated tanker Huang Pu with ballistic missiles despite previously saying they would not attack Chinese vessels, the US Central Command said.
The Houthis have also targeted vessels trading with Russia.
“Despite declared ceasefires, areas such as the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait remain designated high-risk by underwriters,” insurance broker Aon said in a report this week.
“Ongoing monitoring and adaptive security measures are essential for ship operators.” The insurance cost of shipping goods through the Red Sea has more than doubled since this week’s attacks, with some underwriters pausing cover for some voyages.
The number of daily sailings through the strait, at the southern tip of the Red Sea and a gateway to the Gulf of Aden, was 35 vessels on July 10, 32 vessels on July 9, down from 43 on July 1, Lloyds List Intelligence data showed.
That compares with a daily average of 79 sailings in October 2023, before Houthi attacks began.
“Seafarers are the backbone of global trade, keeping countries supplied with food, fuel and medicine. They should not have to risk their lives to do their job,” the UK-based Seafarers’ Charity said this week.
KUALA LUMPUR: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday he had “positive and constructive” talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as the two major powers vied to push their agendas in Asia at a time of tension over Washington’s tariff offensive.
The top US diplomat was in Malaysia on his first Asia trip since taking office, seeking to stress the United States commitment to the region at the East Asia Summit and Asean Regional Forum, where many countries were reeling from a raft of steep US tariffs announced by President Donald Trump this week.
Rubio had his first in-person talks with the Chinese foreign minister, coming as Beijing has warned the United States against reinstating hefty levies on its goods next month and threatened retaliation against nations that strike deals with the US to cut China out of supply chains.
Wang has sharply criticised Washington during talks with Asian counterparts in Malaysia, calling the US tariffs “typical unilateral bullying behaviour”.
US efforts to refocus attention on Indo-Pacific have been overshadowed by imposition of steep tariffs on most countries of the region
But both sides described Friday’s bilateral meeting as positive and constructive. And Rubio said the odds of Trump meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping were high.
“We’re two big, powerful countries, and there are always going to be issues that we disagree on. I think there’s some areas of potential cooperation and I thought it was a very constructive, positive meeting, and a lot of work to do,” he told reporters.
Rubio emphasised that his sitdown with Wang was not a negotiation, but rather about establishing a constructive baseline to continue talks.
• Young farmer from Landhi was treated at Indus Hospital after his cow bit him on the hand • Study quotes villagers as saying the cow was bitten by a stray dog • Dr Naseem Salahuddin terms rabies in cattle a serious issue due to its impact on livestock and potential zoonotic transmission to humans
KARACHI: A study published in an international journal reported the first case of cow-transmitted rabies, which affected a young farmer whose life was saved through timely medical intervention at Karachi’s Indus Hospital in 2024.
The study — A rabid cow bites the hand that feeds it — is published in International Journal of Infectious Diseases (IJID).
According to the study, an 18-year-old farmer was bitten on the hand and thumb by his cow while attempting to feed it. Fortunately, being aware of the risk of cow-transmitted rabies, he reported on the same day to the hospital’s Rabies Prevention and Training Center (RPTC).
The victims’ wounds were serious, requiring administration of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) — a medication used to prevent rabies following exposure, in combination with a rabies vaccine. However, the medication, the study says, was “deemed unnecessary” because the farmer had been “reliably” immunised four years back when he was bitten by a dog. Hence, he received only the vaccine doses that helped him develop antibodies against the virus.
At discharge, he was instructed to keep the cow under observation and report any changes in its behaviour. Three weeks after the bite, the farmer reported to the clinic that the cow was behaving “strangely” and died a few days later.
“The Dow University of Health Sciences received a report of a possible rabid cow and sent out a team of workers to decapitate the cow’s head for rabies studies, whereas the rest of the body was buried deeply. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction from brain tissue was positive.
“Villagers further verified that the cow had been bitten by a stray dog some days previously but were unable to verify if the same dog had wounded other animals or persons,” the study says.
Rabies is an ancient viral zoonotic disease caused by the Lyssavirus, transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected animal, typically a dog, and 100 per cent fatal without timely and appropriate post-exposure treatment.
An estimated 60,000 people die from rabies worldwide each year but data collection in low-and-middle-income countries is lacking. Most rabies deaths occur in rural areas where victims often succumb to fatalism, resorting to alternative medicine as a final attempt at a cure, yet ultimately passing away.
Unusual case
According to experts, Pakistan is among the countries in Asia that are endemic to rabies; unfortunately, very few centers are equipped to provide proper post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for animal bites.
The rabies virus potentially infects all warm-blooded mammals, with varying susceptibility among species. Livestock are affected by rabies worldwide in unknown numbers, mainly through bites from rabid dogs or carnivorous wildlife.
“Bovine rabies is not uncommon. Previous reports from villagers have indicated cases of rabies in livestock, with documented deaths among cows, buffaloes and donkeys. But, this is the first as far as I know of a person being bitten by a rabid cow,” shared Dr Naseem Salahuddin, lead researcher and author of the study, also heading the infectious diseases department at the hospital.
Rabies in cattle, she pointed out, was a serious concern in Pakistan due to its impact on livestock health and potential zoonotic transmission to humans.
“This case should serve as a wake-up call for the authorities to control rabies in rural areas where livestock is a crucial agricultural sub-sector for generating income. Cattle dying of rabies deprive farmers of their livelihood,” she said, adding that the cow with proven rabies, in this particular case, could have been deadly for the victim had he neglected to seek treatment or received substandard treatment.
In Pakistan, the study says, livestock contributes 37.5 per cent of farm value and about 9.4pc of the country’s gross domestic product. For many rural households, agricultural and livestock commerce serves as their lifeline, providing security against drought. Approximately 35 million people are engaged in livestock-related activities, earning around 40 per cent of their income from this sector
“This case report exemplifies the presence of bovine rabies in Pakistan affecting humans, which has not been reported earlier. Many cases of animal rabies may have gone undetected and warrant vigilant surveillance. Moreover, the loss of livestock to rabies must be addressed, and human and animal anti-rabies vaccines must be instituted through government support,” the study says.
It also emphasised the need for strengthening emergency departments by training healthcare workers and equipping them with required doses for rabies immunoglobulin and vaccine.
In 2013, 13,330 animal bite cases were reported at the Indus Hospital. Of these, 12,524 (94pc) cases involved dog bites whereas the remaining 806 cases (6pc) were attributed to bites from other domestic animals, including cats, donkeys, horses, and cows.
Symptoms of bovine rabies include excessive salivation, altered behavior, excitability and mania, which can progress to motor paralysis and death.
RAWALPINDI: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Friday issued a flood alert for major rivers across the country, forecasting moderate to heavy monsoon rainfall from July 13 to 17 that could trigger flash floods.
NDMA’s National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) attributed the forecast to increased moisture from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, along with an active westerly wave system.
As a result, increased flows are expected in all major rivers, particularly the Indus, Kabul, Jhelum and Chenab.
Currently, the Kalabagh and Chashma barrages on the Indus River are at medium flood levels, while the Tarbela, Taunsa and Guddu barrages are at low flood levels, the NDMA said.
The Taunsa barrage is also expected to rise to a medium flood level.
Low flood levels are also forecast for the Chenab River at Marala and Khanki and for the Kabul River at Nowshera.
Rain-induced swelling is anticipated in the Swat and Panjkora rivers, along with their associated streams and nullahs.
In Punjab, torrential flows in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur are likely to reactivate with medium to high flows.
In Balochistan, high flows may be experienced in streams and nullahs in northeastern districts including Jhal Magsi, Kachhi, Sibi, Qila Saifullah, Zhob and Musakhel.
Additionally, localised flash flooding is also expected in southern districts like Khuzdar, Awaran, Lasbela and Qalat.
As of Thursday, the Tarbela Dam was at 74 per cent storage capacity and the Mangla Dam was at 44pc.
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has expressed dissatisfaction over federal government’s failure to submit a report in the case concerning the release, health and repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
Dr Siddiqui, a neuroscientist, has been imprisoned in the United States since 2008 after being convicted on charges of attempted murder of US personnel in Afghanistan.
When the petition filed by her sister Dr Fawzia Siddiqui came up for hearing, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan grilled Additional Attorney General Rashid Hafeez over delay in submission of government’s response to the case.
The court noted that the government had been asked in June to submit a response but it did not file it till date.
“If the federal government’s report is not presented in my court, I will summon the entire cabinet. Why not initiate contempt of court proceedings against all ministers in the federal cabinet, including the prime minister?” he remarked.
However, the additional attorney general requested for five more days, assuring the court that government response would be placed before it after five working days.
Justice Khan noted that his annual leave would begin next week, but then reluctantly agreed to extend a deadline for response until next week.
When Advocate Imran Shafiq, representing the petitioner, informed the court of a miscellaneous application filed regarding a proposed meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Dr Fawzia, the judge questioned the rationale behind it.
“What will Fawzia Siddiqui do with the prime minister? Doesn’t the prime minister already know the situation?” he asked.
The court later adjourned the hearing till July 21, warning that government inaction would result in serious legalconsequences.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that transforming the outdated system into a modern, digital and effective governance model is among the government’s top priorities as economic development and prosperity are not possible without modernising the system to meet contemporary demands.
Presiding over a meeting to evaluate the performance of federal ministries, the prime minister directed officials to introduce reforms to enhance the performance of ministries and hire services of experts in every sector.
The prime minister formed a committee for recruiting the best workforce, aligning ministries with modern systems and improving governance through reforms.
During the meeting, the Ministry of Energy gave a detailed briefing on a system comprising experts for improving governance and implementing reforms.
PM tells ministries to introduce reforms to enhance performance; hire services of experts
The prime minister said the country could not achieve progress with a system that has been in place for seven decades.
He said the country has rich resources and its young workforce is the country’s most valuable asset, with many talented Pakistanis bringing fame to the country globally.
PM Shehbaz lauded Minister for Energy Sardar Awais Khan Leghari and his team for their efforts and emphasised that assistance from internationally renowned experts and consultants is crucial for system’s change, and introducing new thinking and governance methods through reforms aligning with modern requirements.
He said the energy ministry’s reforms, which brought about reduction in losses and saved billions of rupees for the national treasury, served as a model for other ministries to follow.
The PM directed the formation of a committee to finalise actionable proposals for restructuring other ministries and institutions in the light of reforms undertaken by the energy ministry.
The committee will also focus on recruiting the best workforce, aligning ministries with modern systems, and improving governance through reforms.
The meeting was also given a detailed briefing on profiles of the sector experts and the current working of the ministry under the established system.
Federal ministers Dr Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kiyani, Chief Coordinator Mosharraf Zaidi, and other relevant senior officials attended the meeting.
World Population Day
In his message on World Population Day, PM Shehbaz Sharif said the government is fully committed to a comprehensive, rights-based population agenda with a focus on equitable access of people to healthcare, informed family planning and strengthening systems allowing individuals to make choices about their future with dignity and autonomy.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia on Friday signed an agreement to revive and expand the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM).
Built 52 years ago in Karachi with Russia’s support, the PSM is a state-owned company that has the capacity to produce long-rolled and heavy metal products in the country. The PSM ceased operations in 2015.
The agreement was signed at the Pakistan Embassy in Moscow by secretary of industries and production Saif Anjum and general director of Industries Engineering LLC of Russia, Vadim Velichko.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Haroon Akhtar Khan, witnessed the agreement signing at a ceremony together with Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation Muhammad Khalid Jamali.
Speaking on the occasion, the special assistant to the PM said that reviving the Pakistan Steel Mills with the support of Russia reflected “our shared history and commitment to a stronger industrial future”.
Islamabad, Moscow also agree to establish new mills in Karachi
The project aims to restart and expand the steel production in the country, marking a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.
Following the official closure of the PSM in 2024, the Sindh government sought Russia’s assistance in restoring the ageing infrastructure, which had been incurring losses for decades.
A high-powered delegation of Pakistan, led by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Tariq Fatemi, and Mr Haroon Akhtar Khan, who is also the focal person for the PSM project, held a meeting with Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk in Moscow on Wednesday.
During the talks, Mr Akhtar conveyed to the Russian side that Pakistan’s government attached high importance to the ongoing discussions on the new Steel Mills in Karachi, as the project carried an important legacy of Pakistan’s relations with Russia, that could serve as a leap forward symbol of future cooperation and partnership.
Pakistan and Russia have also agreed to establish new steel mills in Karachi.
The idea of new steel mills was discussed during a meeting between Russian Representative Denis Nazaroof and Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar Khan.
Several attempts were made in the recent past to sell the PSM to global private ownership under the government’s programme, but the privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills is not on the privatisation programme agenda for 2024-2029 of the present government.
The PSM is the largest industrial mega-corporation in the country, having a production capacity of 1.1 to 5.0 million tonnes of steel and iron foundries.
Experts believe Moscow’s groundwork to engage with the Afghan Taliban is born out of its security and geopolitical concerns.
• Experts say Moscow’s decision reflects desire to prevent Afghanistan from falling back into US camp • Move ‘unlikely to ease path’ for wider global recognition of Afghan Taliban regime
ON July 3, Russia recognised the Taliban government of Afghanistan, becoming the first country to recognise the regime in Kabul, which came to power in August 2021.
At the time, Moscow had said that its decision would “give an impetus” to bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
But Russia has been laying the groundwork to engage with the Afghan Taliban for more than a decade, even when they weren’t in power — a move, experts believe, is born out of Moscow’s security and geopolitical concerns.
In 2015-16, the Russians set up formal engagement channels with the Taliban.
According to a Taliban official, members of the group’s political office had carried out secret visits to Russia.
Russia has been laying the groundwork to engage with the Afghan Taliban for more than a decade.—X / MoFA_Afg
The Russians not only maintained a steady engagement with the Afghan Taliban after the takeover in August 2021, but have been advising them on taking measures to improve governance, counter-terrorism and human rights to pave the way for their mainstreaming and recognition.
Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador in Kabul, said Russia’s decision was the culmination of a systematic process where the country first engaged the Taliban for twelve years.
Then it launched the ‘Moscow Format’ forum and included the Afghan Taliban in it.
Terrorism and extremism
According to experts, Russia wants a stable government in Afghanistan — following the withdrawal of US and Nato forces — that could act against terrorist outfits, particularly the militant IS-Khorasan’s, the trade of narcotics, and stop the spread of religious extremism and radicalism into Central Asian countries.
It also wants to stop Afghanistan from getting closer to the US and its Western allies.
Dr Sher Hassan Hassan, a Moscow-based Afghan political analyst, said Russia does not want Afghanistan to fall into the hands of the Americans or the West again.
He said all countries, especially major powers, were “trying to protect their national interests and security by at least preventing Afghanistan from being used against them”.
“The US is also working for this goal,” Mr Hassan said, adding the Russians are “concerned about this approach” and making efforts to keep Americans and their allies away from the Taliban.
“Russia would not want to see them [the US] have military bases in Afghanistan or deploy strategic weapons,” Dr Hasan said, adding it would pose a danger to Russia’s security.
At the same time, Moscow also wants to protect its partners in Central Asia from terrorists and their ideology out of fear for its national security.
“If terrorist ideologies grow or develop in Central Asia and from there, the menace spreads to Russia, then Russia will suffer a lot in this and will not be able to prevent it,” Dr Hassan added.
The Central Asian countries, a geographic buffer between Russia and Afghanistan, have, despite their reservations with the Taliban government, adopted a conciliatory approach of strengthening economic and infrastructure linkages to promote regional connectivity with Afghanistan and South Asia.
According to Dr Ubaidullah Burhani, an American academic of Afghan origin, Russia’s decision to recognise the Taliban government is more than a symbolic gesture.
“It is a deliberate geopolitical manoeuvre intended to distance the movement from US influence and to contain the spread of extremist groups into Central Asia,” said Dr Burhani, a researcher in political strategy and a specialist in international affairs.
He said the recognition offered the Taliban an opportunity to reevaluate their governance approach, particularly for the formation of an inclusive political system, lifting restrictions on girls’ education and upholding fundamental human rights.
The development, Dr Burhani believes, has “disrupted the prevailing stagnation within Afghanistan”, where neither substantive reforms nor credible opposition forces have emerged.
Opposition
The Russian decision has been condemned by anti-Taliban opposition leaders, who have shunned their differences to offer a rare unity in condemning the move.
They said the decision was a “dangerous game” and expressed fears of a new phase of geopolitical rivalry among global and regional powers over Afghanistan.
The anti-Taliban National Resistance Front (NRF) of Afghanistan, led by Ahmad Shah Masoud, condemned the Russian decision and said the decision to recognise the Taliban constituted a “significant advantage for the terrorist partners of this group and the criminal networks” in Afghanistan.
“Creating an international escape route to rescue the illegitimate Taliban regime not only fails to contribute to regional stability, security, and development but also leads to the normalisation of terrorism and criminal economy, endorsement of extremism, and encouragement of drug and arms trafficking,” the NRF said in a statement on July 4.
Wider global recognition
The next step for the Kabul regime would be a wider global recognition, particularly by the Western nations and a seat at the UN.
According Mr Khan, the former Pakistan ambassador, the Russian recognition was a part of the “ongoing process of gradual expansion of Afghanistan’s engagement with other countries”.
“However, further progress in Afghanistan under the Taliban in moving towards universal recognition is a more complex geo-political phenomenon,” Mr Khan told Dawn.
Another hurdle to global recognition for Kabul is the presence of the Taliban and its leaders on global terror lists.
For Kabul to get a seat at the UN and other global organisations, like the OIC, would require the de-listing of the Taliban and its leaders from the UN sanctions and monitoring committees, as well as the lifting of economic and banking sanctions by major Western powers.
Afghan Taliban’s own actions — or inactions — have not helped speed up the global recognition.
The absence of an inclusive governance system and restrictions on human rights, particularly women’s rights, have antagonised the foreign powers.
GENEVA: Nearly 800 people have died trying to access aid in Gaza since late May, with most killed near the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) sites, the United Nations said on Friday.
An officially private effort, the GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel halted supplies into the Gaza Strip for more than two months, sparking warnings of imminent famine.
Since those operations began and through July 7, UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the agency had recorded “615 killings in the vicinity of the GHF sites”.
Another 183 people had been killed “presumably on the routes of aid convoys” carried out by UN and other aid organisations, she told reporters in Geneva.
“This is nearly 800 people who have been killed while trying to access aid,” she said, adding that “most of the injuries are gunshot injuries”.
Israeli forces kill 30 more Palestinians in air, ground attacks
GHF operations, which effectively sidelined a vast UN aid delivery network in Gaza, have been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on people waiting to collect rations.
The GHF, which said Thursday it had distributed more than 69 million meals to date, has denied that fatal shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points.
The Israeli army said Friday it had issued instructions to Israel’s forces in the field “following lessons learned” after reports of deadly incidents at distribution facilities.
It explained that it “allows the American civilian organisation (GHF) to distribute aid to Gaza residents independently, and operates in proximity to the new distribution zones to enable the distribution alongside the continuation of IDF operational activities in the Gaza Strip”.
Shamdasani highlighted that the UN rights office had repeatedly raised “serious concerns about respect for international humanitarian law principles” in the war in Gaza.
“Where people are lining up for essential supplies such as food and medicine, and where they are being attacked, where… they have a choice between being shot or being fed, this is unacceptable,” she said.
Responding to the UN’s figures, Israel’s military said it had worked to minimise “possible friction between the population and the IDF forces as much as possible”.
“Following incidents in which harm to civilians who arrived at distribution facilities was reported, thorough examinations were conducted… and instructions were issued to forces in the field following lessons learned,” it added.
Fresh deaths
Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 30 people on Friday, including 10 who were waiting for aid in the south of the war-ravaged territory.
Gaza civil defence official Mohammed al-Mughayyir said that 10 people were shot by Israeli forces on Friday while waiting for supplies in the Al-Shakoush area northwest of Rafah, where there have been repeated reports of deadly fire on aid seekers.
In an update, the civil defence agency reported a wave of Israeli air strikes, drone attacks and bombings across the densely populated territory, which has been devastated by 21 months of war.
A Palestinian speaking to AFP from southern Gaza on condition of anonymity reported ongoing attacks and widespread devastation, with Israeli tanks seen near Khan Yunis.
“The situation remains extremely difficult in the area — intense gunfire, intermittent air strikes, artillery shelling, and ongoing bulldozing and destruction of displacement camps and agricultural land to the south, west and north of Al-Maslakh,” an area to Khan Yunis’s south, the witness said.
The civil defence also reported five people killed in an Israeli strike the previous night on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Jabalia al-Nazla, in northern Gaza.
Nearly all of Gaza’s population has been displaced at least once during the war, which has created dire humanitarian conditions for the territory’s more than two million inhabitants.
Many have sought shelter in school buildings, but these have come under repeated Israeli attack, with the military often saying it was targeting Hamas fighters hiding among civilians.
