DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An Israeli military strike hit the first vehicle in a convoy carrying medical supplies and fuel to an Emirati hospital in the Gaza Strip, killing four Palestinians from a local transportation company, officials said Friday.
The Israeli military insisted the four men were carrying weapons while the American Near East Refugee Aid group said the missile strike on Thursday came without any warning or prior communication with soldiers.
The incident underlines the chaotic situation prevailing in the Gaza Strip and the dangers posed to aid groups since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
Over 80% of the Palestinian territory’s 2.3 million people have been displaced, with most now living in squalid tent camps. International experts say hundreds of thousands of people are on the brink of famine.
The strike happened as the aid group was bringing supplies to the Emirates Red Crescent Hospital in the town of Rafah, said Sandra Rasheed, Anera’s director for the Palestinian territories. It hit the convoy’s first vehicle on the Salah al-Din Road, she said.
“The convoy, which was coordinated by Anera and approved by Israeli authorities, included an Anera employee who was fortunately unharmed,” Rasheed said in a statement. “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. We are urgently seeking further details about what happened.”
A later statement from Anera said four Palestinians were killed. The group said its “coordinated and cleared transport plan called for unarmed security guards in the convoy” with its local partner, a company called Move One.
“Shortly after departing Kerem Shalom, initial reports indicate that four community members with experience in previous missions and engagement in community security with Move One stepped forward and requested to take command of the leading vehicle, citing concern that the route was unsafe and at risk of being looted,” Anera said.
“The four community members were neither vetted nor coordinated in advance, and Israeli authorities allege that the lead car was carrying numerous weapons. The Israeli airstrike was carried out without any prior warning or communication.”
Anera did not elaborate. Other aid convoys have been beset by armed gangs and those desperate for food in Gaza.
The Israeli military, responding to questions from The Associated Press, said it had been “monitoring the situation” and saw “armed individuals joined one of the cars of an Anera convoy and began to lead the convoy.”
“We stress, that the presence of armed individuals was not coordinated, and they were not part of the pre-coordinated convoy — as noted in Anera’s statement regarding the incident,” the Israeli military said. “After ruling out potential harm to the trucks, as well as a clear identification of weapons, a strike was carried out targeting the armed individuals.”
The Israeli military did not address why it didn’t contact Anera before conducting the strike.
The United Arab Emirates, which reached a diplomatic recognition deal with Israel in 2020 and has been providing aid to Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began, did not comment on the attack.
Israeli forces have opened fire on other aid convoys in the Gaza Strip. The World Food Program announced Wednesday it is pausing all staff movement in Gaza until further notice over Israeli troops opening fire on one of its marked vehicles, hitting it with at least 10 rounds. The shooting came despite having received multiple clearances from Israeli authorities.
On July 23, UNICEF said two of its vehicles were hit with live ammunition while waiting at a designated holding point. An Israeli attack in April hit three World Central Kitchen vehicles, killing seven people.
Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack killed some 1,200 people in Israel and saw 250 others taken hostage. The devastating Israel offensive in Gaza since then has killed over 40,000 Palestinians and raised fears of a regional war breaking out.