Hamas Asks For Deployment Of Assistance By Air To Be Stopped, Causes 18 People To Die

JAKARTA - The Palestinian militant group Hamas on Tuesday called for an end to the deployment of air aid to the Gaza Strip, after at least 18 people died in an accident related to humanitarian aid removal.

"We call for an immediate end to the aid strike operation and we demand the opening of land crossings immediately and quickly so that humanitarian aid can reach the Palestinian people," the group said.

The fatalities included 12 people who drowned in the sea in the northern Gaza Strip, as well as six others trampled on as they gathered to get help, the local media office said in a statement.

"The assistance provided by air is a real threat to the lives of Palestinians who are starving," the statement warned.

Furthermore, it is said, some aid fell into the sea, in Israeli territory, or in the war zone.

"This all endangers people's lives," the office added.

Israel has imposed a blockade that has crippled the Gaza Strip since last October, leaving most of its population, especially residents in the northern region, on the verge of starvation.

As Tel Aviv maintained its siege in the enclave, several countries began sending humanitarian aid to parts of Gaza to avoid starvation.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on Palestinian territory since the Hamas attack on October 7 which led to the deaths of 1,160 Israelis.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced the death toll of Palestinians as a result of Israeli attacks had reached 32,414 and 74,787 others were injured.