CNN —

The Israeli military has denied a new report that soldiers were ordered to fire at unarmed Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza, after hundreds of people were reported killed while approaching food distribution sites in recent weeks.

On Friday, the daily Haaretz newspaper published an article alleging that Israeli soldiers in Gaza were instructed by their commanders to shoot at the crowds of Palestinians approaching aid sites, even as it was evident that the crowds posed no threat.

One soldier who spoke anonymously with Haaretz described the approach routes to the aid sites as a “killing field” where Israeli forces open fire even if there is no immediate threat. According to the article, Israeli forces recently began dispersing crowds with artillery shells, which resulted in a sharp rise in casualties.

“We strongly reject the accusation raised in the article — the IDF did not instruct the forces to deliberately shoot at civilians, including those approaching the distribution centers,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in response to the article. “To be clear, IDF directives prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have also rejected the report as “vicious lies designed to discredit the IDF – the most moral army in the world.”

More than 500 Palestinians have been killed as they approached aid sites or trucks carrying aid since May 27, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Palestinians have come under fire on a near daily basis as they approach the sites, health officials and emergency responders have said.

In one such incident earlier this month, more than a dozen eyewitnesses, including those wounded in the attack, told CNN that Israeli troops shot at crowds in repeated volleys of gunfire. Weapons experts said the rate of gunfire heard in the footage, as well as images of bullets retrieved from victims, were consistent with machine guns used by the Israeli military.

On multiple occasions, the IDF has acknowledged firing what it called “warning shots” at Palestinians approaching military positions near aid distribution sites. It has also said that it is examining reports of casualties, but it has not publicly released any findings to date.

According to Haaretz, the Military Advocate General has instructed the IDF General Staff’s Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism – which reviews incidents involving the potential violations of the laws of war – to investigate suspected war crimes near the aid sites.

“Any allegation of a deviation from the law or IDF directives will be thoroughly examined, and further action will be taken as necessary,” the IDF said on Friday.

CNN has reached out to the IDF for additional comment.

Shots fired at controversial aid sites

The Gaza aid sites where the deaths have occurred are run by the controversial Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which hands out pre-packaged boxes of food at a handful of locations in southern and central Gaza. The group’s distribution was chaotic from the start one month ago, with crowds of desperate Palestinians rushing the sites the moment they open to take the available aid before it runs out, often within less than an hour.

GHF was set up to replace the United Nations aid distribution mechanism, which Israel and the US have accused Hamas of looting. Hamas has rejected those claims, and humanitarian groups say most of the UN-distributed food aid reaches civilians.

People carry relief supplies from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private US-backed aid group that has bypassed the longstanding UN-led system in the territory, as displaced Palestinians return from an aid distribution centre in the central Gaza Strip on June 8, 2025. The UN and major aid organisations have refused to cooperate with the GHF, citing concerns that it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images

GHF coordinates with the Israeli military to designate specific routes for Palestinians traveling to their aid sites and has come under sharp criticism from aid experts. It has acknowledged some episodes of violence occurring outside of its immediate aid sites, but repeatedly described food distribution operations as having “proceeded without incident.”

In response to the Haaretz reporting, the organization said it was “not aware” of the specific incidents described. Nevertheless, it added, “these allegations are too grave to ignore and we therefore call on Israel to investigate them and transparently publish the results in a timely manner.”

On Thursday, the US State Department announced that it is awarding $30 million to the organization, a sign of continued US support for GHF, which says it distributed 46 million meals in four weeks of operations.

High pressure will create better clearing for Saturday with more sunshine for our beaches. This will also create warm temperatures.

We are in between two systems: high pressure to the east and low pressure to the west.

High pressure remains dominate for Saturday before low pressure impacts intensify.

By Sunday morning, the low pressure system from the western coast will increase strength over our region, boosting onshore flow, and create an increase in cloud coverage through Monday.

Low pressure stays with us through next week but temperatures are expected to remain near seasonal norms.

This will set us up for a very mild July 4th, though coastal skies could struggle to clear through then.

JERUSALEM: Six Israelis were detained for assaulting soldiers near a town in the occupied West Bank where clashes with Palestinians erupted earlier this week, the military said on Saturday.

Soldiers went to disperse a gathering of Israelis near the central West Bank town of Kafr Malik overnight Friday to Saturday, the military said in a statement.

“Upon the arrival of the security forces, dozens of Israeli civilians hurled stones toward them and physically and verbally assaulted the soldiers, including the Battalion Commander,” it said.

“In addition, the civilians vandalized and damaged security forces’ vehicles, and attempted to ram the security forces,” it added.

“The security forces dispersed the gathering, and six Israeli civilians were apprehended and transferred to the Israel Police for further processing.”

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military declined to say whether those arrested were residents of Israeli settlements in the territory, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

The military referred the query to the Israeli police, which was not available to comment.

In a separate incident on Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said three men died in Kafr Malik in an attack by settlers.

AFP journalists saw several hundred people gather for the three men’s funerals on Thursday.

The Palestinian foreign ministry alleged “official complicity” by Israel in Wednesday’s attack, in a message on X.

“Israeli occupation forces prevented ambulance crews from reaching the wounded and obstructed civil defense teams from entering the village for several hours, allowing fires ignited by the settlers to spread and destroy dozens of homes,” it said.

The Israeli military did not respond to a request by AFP to comment on those claims.

A military spokesman told AFP its forces intervened on Wednesday after “dozens of Israeli civilians set fire to property in Kafr Malik” and a “confrontation” involving “mutual rock-hurling” broke out between Israelis and Palestinians.

Referring to action by the Palestinians, the spokesman said: “Several terrorists fired from within Kafr Malik and hurled rocks at the forces, who opened fire toward the source of fire and the rock-hurlers.”

Five Israelis were arrested, the military added.

Clashes struck the West Bank village of Kafr Malik on June 26

The fresh violence around the central West Bank village of Kafr Malik came after the Palestinian health ministry said three men died there in an attack by Israeli settlers on Wednesday.

Soldiers went to disperse a gathering of Israelis near the village overnight, the military said in a statement.

“Dozens of Israeli civilians hurled stones toward them and physically and verbally assaulted the soldiers, including the battalion commander,” it said.

“In addition, the civilians vandalised and damaged security forces’ vehicles, and attempted to ram the security forces,” it added.

“The security forces dispersed the gathering, and six Israeli civilians were apprehended and transferred to the Israel Police for further processing.”

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military declined to say whether those arrested were residents of Israeli settlements in the territory, occupied by Israel since 1967.

The military referred the query to the Israeli police, which was not available to comment.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “firmly” condemned the violence in a statement, demanding an “in-depth investigation”.

“Anyone who broke the law or acted against our soldiers must be prosecuted with the utmost severity,” he added.

West Bank violence

On Wednesday the Palestinian health ministry said three men died in Kafr Malik in an attack by settlers.

AFP journalists saw several hundred people gather for the three men’s funerals on Thursday.

The Palestinian foreign ministry alleged “official complicity” by Israel in Wednesday’s attack, in a message on X.

“Israeli occupation forces prevented ambulance crews from reaching the wounded and obstructed civil defence teams from entering the village for several hours, allowing fires ignited by the settlers to spread and destroy dozens of homes,” it said.

The Israeli military did not respond to a request by AFP to comment on those claims.

A military spokesman told AFP its forces intervened on Wednesday after “dozens of Israeli civilians set fire to property in Kafr Malik” and a “confrontation” involving “mutual rock-hurling” broke out between Israelis and Palestinians.

Referring to action by the Palestinians, the spokesman said: “Several terrorists fired from within Kafr Malik and hurled rocks at the forces, who opened fire toward the source of fire and the rock-hurlers.”

Five Israelis were arrested, the military added.

Left-leaning Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the five were released on Thursday. Police did not comment.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law.

Their growth has accelerated since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to office in 2022 in an alliance with far-right parties who wish to annexe the territory outright.

Countries including Britain and France and several human rights groups have condemned settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Violence has surged in the West Bank since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel.

The Palestinian Authority says Israeli troops or settlers have killed 945 Palestinians, many of them militants but also scores of civilians, since the start of the Gaza war, according to Palestinian health ministry figures.

Israel says 35 of its soldiers and civilians have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids since that date.

© 2025 AFP

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) — Nerds of all stripes will be descending on the Central Coast this weekend for the 5th annual Nerdville Comic Con!

It’s happening Sunday, June 29 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Watsonville High School.

Local vendors, game tournaments, celebrity panels and more will be featured.

There will also be performances scheduled from the Watsonville Community Band and folklore dance group Angeles Danzantes.

It promises to be a fun filled weekend!