Israel accused of bombing medical charity's Gaza office as aid massacres continue
Deir el-Balah, Gaza - Medical charity Medecins du Monde Wednesday accused Israel of violating international law with drone strikes on a building housing one of its offices in Gaza that killed eight people, none of them staff.
The France-based aid group said in a statement the attack on Tuesday "constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law, which protects both civilian populations and humanitarian organizations operating in conflict zones."
"Yesterday morning, at around 11:00 am local time, a building in Deir el-Balah housing a Medecins du Monde office was attacked by drones," the aid group said.
Its staff had not been present as they had been off as part of the Eid al-Adha holiday, it added.
"At least eight people were killed in the bombardment. All were on the last floor of the building," it said, without providing more details on those killed.
"Medecins du Monde had informed the Israeli military of the presence of its office, which had officially been declared 'deconflicted', or shielded from Israeli military attacks under humanitarian coordination agreements," it said.
"However, as during previous Israeli attacks, the team received no forward warning that would have allowed it to evacuate the building or take measures to protect anyone inside," it added.
Several other non-governmental organizations as well as Palestinians displaced by the war are based in the same area, it said.
Dozens killed as Israeli forces again open fire at aid distribution point
Medecins du Monde last month, after more than two months of a total blockade on Gaza, accused Israel of using hunger as "a weapon of war" in the Palestinian territory, which it has been subjecting to mass killing and starvation.
A minuscule amount of food has been allowed to enter the territory through the widely discredited Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, backed by Israel and the US.
Scores of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May as Israeli forces repeatedly opened fire on Palestinians corralled in dangerous and inhumane conditions.
On Wednesday, 31 people were killed while gathering to collect aid in horrific scenes.
Adding to a growing consensus among experts that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, a UN special commission said Israel was guilty of the crime of extermination.
Cover photo: Eyad BABA / AFP