Israeli troops in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire on Palestinians scrambling for food aid on Thursday in a chaotic incident that the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed more than 100 people.
Israeli troops in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire on Palestinians scrambling for food aid on Thursday in a chaotic incident that the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed more than 100 people.
Though there were conflicting reports on how the pre-dawn incident unfolded, the Israeli military said a «stampede» occurred when thousands of Gazans surrounded a convoy of 38 aid trucks, leading to dozens of deaths and injuries, including some people being run over.
An Israeli source said troops had opened fire on the crowd, believing it «posed a threat».
The Gaza health ministry condemned the «massacre» in Gaza City, saying 112 people were killed and more than 750 wounded.
Reactions to the deaths have poured in from around the world.
US President Joe Biden said the incident would complicate delicate ceasefire negotiations in the almost five-month-old war, with the White House calling the deaths «tremendously alarming».
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters the United States was «urgently seeking additional information on exactly what took place».
Washington will be monitoring an upcoming investigation closely and «pressing for answers», he said.
France’s foreign ministry said «the fire by Israeli soldiers against civilians trying to access food is unjustifiable».
The «tragic event» came as an «increasing and unbearable number of Palestinian civilians» were suffering from hunger and disease, it added, saying Israel must abide by international law and protect aid deliveries to civilians.
