Gaza aid group: Hamas operatives killed 5 of our local staffers in attack on bus

[Mosby]

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says Hamas operatives attacked a bus carrying its local Gazan staffers, killing at least five, injuring others and potentially taking some hostage.

The bus was ferrying the staffers to one of GHF’s aid distribution sites near southern Gaza’s Khan Younis at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday when it came under attack, a GHF statement says.

The statement notes that GHF is still working to gather the facts on what unfolded and a spokesperson doesn’t immediately provide any corroborating evidence.

"This attack did not happen in a vacuum. For days, Hamas has openly threatened our team, our aid workers, and the civilians who receive aid from us. These threats were met with silence,” GHF says, adding that the attack will not deter the organization’s efforts to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/gaza-aid-group-hamas-operatives-killed-5-of-our-local-staffers-in-attack-on-bus/

[Richard D]

1. I believe this is the full statement from the GHF

A horrifying and terrifying statement from The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation:

Tonight, at approximately 10 p.m. Gaza time, a bus carrying more than two-dozen members of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation team, local Palestinians working side-by-side with the U.S. GHF team to deliver critical aid, were brutally attacked by Hamas. At the time of the attack, our team was en route to one of our distribution centers in the area west of Khan Younis.

We are still gathering facts, but what we know is devastating: there are at least five fatalities, multiple injuries, and fear that some of our team members may have been taken hostage. We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms. These were aid workers. 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.

This attack did not happen in a vacuum. For days, Hamas has openly threatened our team, our aid workers, and the civilians who receive aid from us. These threats were met with silence.

The GHF 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.

We will release additional information once it becomes available. Despite this heinous attack, we will continue our mission to provide critical aid to the people of Gaza.