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The Israeli military launched a missile, targeting the lead vehicle of a Gaza aid convoy, resulting in the deaths of five people. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that militants had hijacked the vehicle.

American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera), a nonprofit based in Washington DC, which had organised the convoy, described the incident as "shocking" in a statement released on Friday (Aug 30). The organisation stated that those who lost their lives worked for a local transportation company.

The convoy was transporting medical supplies and fuel to a hospital in Gaza's Rafah run by the Emiratis, with its route coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said a report by The Washington Post, citing Anera's Palestine Country Director, Sandra Rasheed.

A Times of Israel report said that the aid organisation from the United States has acknowledged that a group of people, who the Israeli military alleges were armed, seized control of an aid convoy in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday.

As per the report, the organisation admitted that they did not vet these individuals or coordinate with the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

The attack in southern Gaza on Thursday (August 29) occurred just days after a World Food Program truck was fired upon in the same area. These incidents have added to the growing challenges faced by humanitarian organisations operating in the increasingly volatile environment.

'Armed militants took control' of the lead vehicle: Israel

The IDF, in its explanation of the incident, said that the attack was carried out when gunmen took control of the lead vehicle in the convoy. "During the convoy's journey, armed militants took control of a vehicle at the front of the convoy," the Israeli military said.

"An attack was carried out against them. No other vehicles in the convoy were harmed, and it reached its destination as planned," it added. The IDF also said that the "attack on the militants removed the threat to the humanitarian convoy."

Humanitarian organisations delivering aid to Gaza have faced frequent attacks during the ongoing conflict, raising serious concerns about the system for coordinating routes and the IDF's conduct in the war.

The United Nations has reported that over 280 humanitarian workers have lost their lives since the conflict in Gaza started on October 7 after Hamas attacked Israel.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.