An Israeli missile hit a convoy carrying medical supplies and fuel to an Emirati hospital in the Gaza Strip, killing several people from a local transport company, a US-based Middle East refugee aid group said on Friday.
The IDF says the “armed assailants” were trying to seize the vehicle leading the convoy of medical supplies, but a humanitarian aid organiser says those killed were employees of the transport company.
Sandra Rasheed, Anera’s director in the Palestinian territories, said the strike killed several people from the transport company the aid group was using to deliver supplies to the Emirates Red Crescent hospital in Rafah.
The strike took place on Thursday on Salah al-Din Road in the Gaza Strip and hit the first vehicle of the convoy.
The convoy, which was coordinated by Anera and approved by the Israeli authorities, included an Anera employee who was fortunately not injured. Ms Rasheed said in a statement:
“The convoy, which was co-ordinated by Anera and approved by Israeli authorities, included an Anera employee who was fortunately unharmed. Despite this devastating incident, our understanding is that the remaining vehicles in the convoy were able to continue and successfully deliver the aid to the hospital.”
Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee tweeted that “the militants captured the vehicle at the head of the convoy (a jeep) and started moving.” He also added:
“After the seizure operation and after confirming the possibility of attacking the militants’ vehicle alone, the raid was carried out, as the rest of the convoy vehicles were not harmed and reached their target according to the plan. The operation to target the militants removed the risk of seizing the humanitarian convoy.”
The United Arab Emirates has a deal to diplomatically recognise Israel in 2020 and has been providing aid to Gaza since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
Attack on UN humanitarian convoy
The airstrike on the convoy came hours after Israeli soldiers opened fire on a UN-marked World Food Programme (WFP) vehicle travelling in the convoy.
WFP said the vehicle was hit by at least 10 bullets as it approached an Israel Defence Forces checkpoint in Wadi Gaza. The vehicle was armoured with reinforced glass and no one inside was injured, but the agency temporarily suspended the movement of its staff around Gaza.
On July 23, UNICEF reported that two of its vehicles had been hit by live ammunition while waiting at a designated checkpoint.
In April, an Israeli attack hit three WCK vehicles, killing seven people.
