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Gaza’s civil defence agency said on Saturday that Israeli fire killed 26 people and wounded more than 100 near two aid centres, in the latest deaths of Palestinians seeking food.Deaths of people waiting for handouts in huge crowds near food points in Gaza have become a regular occurrence, with the territory’s authorities frequently blaming Israeli fire.But the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has replaced UN agencies as the main distributor of aid in the territory, has accused militant group Hamas of fomenting unrest and shooting at civilians.Civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the deaths happened near a site southwest of Khan Yunis and another centre northwest of Rafah, both in southern Gaza, attributing the deaths to “Israeli gunfire”.One witness said he headed to the Al-Tina area of Khan Yunis before dawn with five of his relatives to try to get food when “Israeli soldiers” started shooting.”My relatives and I were unable to get anything,” Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, told AFP. “Every day I go there and all we get is bullets and exhaustion instead of food.”Three other witnesses also accused troops of opening fire.- ‘Warning shots’ -In response, the Israeli military said it “identified suspects who approached them during operational activity in the Rafah area, posing a threat to the troops”.Soldiers called for them to turn back and “after they did not comply, the troops fired warning shots”, it said, adding that it was aware of the reports about casualties.”The incident is under review. The shots were fired approximately one kilometre (more than half a mile) away from the aid distribution site at nighttime when it’s not active,” it said in a statement.GHF said reports of deaths near its sites were “false”.”We have repeatedly warned aid-seekers not to travel to our sites overnight and early morning hours,” it wrote on X.Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties.The war in Gaza, sparked by militant group Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people who live in the coastal territory.Most people have been displaced at least once by the fighting, and doctors and aid agencies say they were seeing the physical and mental health effects of 21 months of war, including more acute malnutrition.The World Food Programme said nearly one in three people in Gaza were not eating for days at a stretch and “thousands” were “on the verge of catastrophic hunger”.The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, on Saturday said it had enough food for all of Gaza for more than three months but it was stockpiled in warehouses and blocked from being delivered.The free flow of aid into Gaza is a key demand of Hamas in indirect negotiations with Israel for a 60-day ceasefire in the war, alongside a full Israeli military withdrawal.- ‘Agitators’ -After a more than two-month Israeli aid blockade, GHF took over the running of aid distribution in late May, despite criticism from the United Nations, which previously coordinated handouts, that it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.GHF acknowledged for the first time that 20 people died at its Khan Yunis site on Wednesday but blamed “agitators in the crowd… armed and affiliated with Hamas” for creating “a chaotic and dangerous surge” and firing at aid-seekers.The previous day, the UN said it had recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food, including 674 “in the vicinity of GHF sites”, since it began operating.Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.Israel’s retaliatory military action has killed 58,765 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.

Syrian Bedouin and their allies fought Druze fighters in the community’s Sweida heartland for a seventh day Saturday despite a ceasefire ordered by the government following a US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military intervention.AFP correspondents reported clashes in the west of the provincial capital as Druze fighters battled armed Bedouin supported by tribal gunmen from other parts of Syria.The interior ministry announced that internal security forces had begun deploying in Sweida province and AFP correspondents saw them manning checkpoints trying to prevent more people from joining the fighting.Israel had bombed government forces in both Sweida and Damascus earlier this week to force their withdrawal after they were accused of summary executions and other abuses against Druze civilians during their brief deployment in the southern province.More than 900 people have been killed in Sweida since Sunday as sectarian clashes between the Druze and Bedouin drew in the Islamist-led government, Israel and armed tribes from other parts of Syria.Druze fighters said those who arrived to support the Bedouin were mostly Islamists.One armed tribesman, who identified himself only as Abu Jassem, told AFP that “we will slaughter them (the Druze) in their homes”.- US-brokered deal -The deal between the Islamist-government and Israel was announced by Washington early on Saturday Damascus time.US pointman on Syria, Tom Barrack, said interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “have agreed to a ceasefire” negotiated by the United States.Barrack, who is US ambassador to Ankara, said the deal had the backing of Turkey, a key supporter of Sharaa, as well as neighbouring Jordan.”We call upon Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbours,” he wrote on X.The US administration, which has sided with Turkey and Saudi Arabia in forging ties with the Islamist president despite his past links with Al-Qaeda, was critical of its Israeli ally’s air strikes on Syria earlier this week and had sought a way out for his government.Sharaa followed up on the US announcement with a televised speech on Saturday in which he renewed his pledge to protect Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities.”The Syrian state is committed to protecting all minorities and communities in the country… We condemn all crimes committed” in Sweida, he said. The president paid tribute to the “important role played by the United States, which again showed its support for Syria in these difficult circumstances and its concern for the country’s stability”.The European Union welcomed the deal between Syria and Israel, saying it had been “appalled” by the deadly sectarian violence of recent days. But Israel expressed deep scepticism about Sharaa’s renewed pledge to protect minorities, pointing to deadly violence against Alawites as well as Druze since he led the overthrow of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December.In Sharaa’s Syria “it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority — Kurd, Druze, Alawite or Christian”, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted on X. – ‘No more room in morgue’ -The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said at least 940 people had been killed in the violence since Sunday.They included 326 Druze fighters and 262 Druze civilians, 165 of whom were summarily executed.They also included 312 government security personnel and 21 Sunni Bedouin, three of them civilians who were “summarily executed by Druze fighters”. Another 15 government troops were killed in Israeli strikes, the Observatory said.On Friday in the corridors of the city’s main public hospital, a foul odour emanated from the swollen and disfigured bodies piled up in refrigerated storage units, an AFP correspondent reported.Doctor Omar Obeid told AFP that the hospital had received “more than 400 bodies” since Monday morning.”There is no more room in the morgue. The bodies are in the street,” he added.The International Committee for the Red Cross said that health facilities were overwhelmed.”The humanitarian situation in Sweida is critical. People are running out of everything,” said Stephan Sakalian, the head of the ICRC’s delegation in Syria.According to the United Nations, the fighting has displaced least 87,000 people.burs-kir/lg/jsa

A glitch in Malaysia’s self-service border control machines has hit tens of thousands of travellers, the immigration department estimated Saturday, causing delays at the capital’s airport and land crossings. Among major gateways affected since Friday afternoon are Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s two main terminals, as well as southern land crossings with Singapore. “It should be more than …

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Syrian interior ministry forces began deploying in Sweida on Saturday under a US-brokered deal intended to avert further Israeli military intervention in the Druze-majority province.Israel had bombed defence ministry forces in both Sweida and Damascus earlier this week to force their withdrawal after they were accused of summary executions and other abuses against Druze civilians during their brief deployment in the southern province.More than 700 people have been killed in Sweida since Sunday as sectarian clashes between the Druze and Sunni Bedouin drew in the Islamist-led government, Israel and armed tribes from other parts of Syria.The office of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced an “immediate ceasefire” in Sweida which it called on “all parties to fully respect”.But AFP correspondents in and around the city reported gunfire and sporadic rocket fire and explosions as Druze fighters battled armed Bedouin who had seized some neighbourhoods on Friday with the support of volunteers from other parts of Syria.The Observatory, a Britain-based war monitor, said the armed volunteers had been deployed with the support of the Islamist-led government although an AFP journalist said security personnel were manning checkpoints on Saturday to prevent further reinforcements getting through.Druze fighters said the volunteers were mostly Islamists, who advanced to shouts of “Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest)”.One armed tribesman told AFP he had come to fight against the Druze clergy and their “pig followers”. “Today we came to their homes and we will slaughter them in their homes,” he said.- US-brokered deal –  The deal between the Islamist-government and Israel was announced by Washington early on Saturday Damascus time.US pointman on Syria, Tom Barrack, said interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “have agreed to a ceasefire” negotiated by the United States.Barrack, who is US ambassador to Ankara, said the deal had the backing of Turkey, a key supporter of Sharaa, as well as neighbouring Jordan.”We call upon Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbours,” he wrote on X.The US administration, which has sided with Turkey and Saudi Arabia in forging ties with the Islamist president despite his past links with Al-Qaeda, was critical of its Israeli ally’s air strikes on Sria earlier this week and had sought a way out for his government.Sharaa followed up on the US announcement with a televised speech in which he renewed his pledge to protect Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities.”The Syrian state is committed to protecting all minorities and communities in the country… We condemn all crimes committed” in Sweida, he said. The president paid tribute to the “important role played by the United States, which again showed its support for Syria in these difficult circumstances and its concern for the country’s stability”.He also thanked Turkey and Arab countries for their support. – ‘No more room in morgue’ -The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said at least 718 people had been killed since Sunday.They included 146 Druze fighters and 245 Druze civilians, 165 of whom were summarily executed.The monitor said 287 government troops and 18 Bedouin fighters were also killed along with three Bedouin “who were summarily executed by Druze fighters”.Fifteen more government troops were killed in Israeli air strikes.In the corridors of the city’s main public hospital, a foul odour emanated from the swollen and disfigured bodies piled up in refrigerated storage units, an AFP correspondent reported.A small number of doctors and nurses at the hospital worked to treat the wounded arriving from the ongoing clashes, some in the hallways.Doctor Omar Obeid told AFP that the hospital had received “more than 400 bodies” since Monday morning.”There is no more room in the morgue. The bodies are in the street,” he added.The International Committee for the Red Cross warned that health facilities were overwhelmed, with power cuts impeding the preservation of bodies in overflowing morgues.”The humanitarian situation in Sweida is critical. People are running out of everything,” said Stephan Sakalian, the head of the ICRC’s delegation in Syria.The International Organization for Migration said 79,339 civilians had fled the fighting.burs-kir/ysm

Gaza’s civil defence agency on Saturday said Israeli gunfire killed 26 people and wounded more than 100 near two aid centres, in the latest deaths of Palestinians seeking food.Deaths of people waiting for handouts in huge crowds near food points in Gaza have become a regular occurrence, with the territory’s authorities frequently blaming Israeli fire.But the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is the main distributor of aid in the territory, has accused militant group Hamas of fomenting unrest and shooting at civilians.The Israeli military said it was “looking into” the latest reports when contacted by AFP.Civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the deaths happened near a site southwest of Khan Yunis and another centre northwest of Rafah, both in the south, attributing the deaths to “Israeli gunfire”.One eyewitness said he headed to the Al-Tina area of Khan Yunis before dawn with five of his relatives to try to get food when “Israeli soldiers” started shooting.”My relatives and I were unable to get anything,” Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, told AFP. “Every day I go there and all we get is bullets and exhaustion instead of food.”Three other eyewitnesses also accused troops of opening fire.”They started shooting at us and we lay down on the ground. Tanks and jeeps came, soldiers got out of them and started shooting,” said Tamer Abu Akar, 24.Nine people were killed in gunfire at the same centre in the Al-Shakoush area northwest of Rafah on Friday, the civil defence agency said.Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties.- ‘Agitators’ -The war in Gaza, sparked by militant group Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people who live in the coastal territory.Most people have been displaced at least once by the fighting and doctors and aid agencies say the physical and mental health effects of 21 months of conflict are being increasingly seen.”We are receiving cases suffering from extreme exhaustion and complete fatigue, in addition to severe emaciation and acute malnutrition due to prolonged lack of food,” the director of the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in Khan Yunis, Sohaib Al-Hums, said on Friday.”Hundreds” of people were facing “imminent death”, he added. The World Food Programme said nearly one in three people in Gaza were not eating for days at a stretch and “thousands” were “on the verge of catastrophic hunger”.The free flow of aid into Gaza is a key demand of Hamas in the indirect talks with Israel for a 60-day ceasefire in the war, alongside a full Israeli military withdrawal.Following a more than two-month total Israeli blockade, GHF took over the running of aid distribution in late May, despite criticism from the United Nations, which previously coordinated handouts, that it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.GHF said 20 people died at its Khan Yunis site on Wednesday but blamed “agitators in the crowd… armed and affiliated with Hamas” for creating “a chaotic and dangerous surge” and firing at aid-seekers.The previous day, the UN said it had recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food, including 674 “in the vicinity of GHF sites”, since it began operating.Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.Of the 251 people taken hostage that day, 49 are still in Gaza, including the 27 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel’s retaliatory military action has killed 58,667 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.