A number of nations have endorsed the United Nations’ demand for an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the demise of over a hundred Palestinians during the transportation of humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
More than 760 individuals were injured and at least 117 were slain on Thursday as they crowded around aid trucks.
The incident was condemned by UN Secretary General Antรณnio Guterres, who stated that “desperate civilians” require immediate assistance.
Israel denied Hamas’ claim that it fired upon civilians, claiming instead that the majority perished in a crush subsequent to the discharge of warning rounds.
International censure of Israel intensified on Thursday, with French President Emmanuel Macron stating that Israeli soldiers had “targeted civilians.”
Josep Borell, the head of foreign policy for the European Union, characterised the event as “completely abhorrent violence.”
Mr Guterres responded to the incident via social media: “I condemn the incident that occurred in Gaza on Thursday, wherein over a hundred individuals were reportedly killed or injured while attempting to obtain life-saving aid.”
The vulnerable civilians in Gaza, including those in the north where the United Nations has been unable to deliver aid for over a week, require immediate assistance.
Additionally, France, Italy, and Germany demanded an independent investigation into the aid convoy fatalities on Friday.
Tragic Clash at Gaza Aid Delivery
The health ministry of Hamas-controlled Gaza described the event as a “massacre.”
Algeria, the Arab representative of the UN Security Council, presented a draft statement during a closed-door emergency meeting that was convened to deliberate on the incident. The statement attributed responsibility to Israeli forces for “opening fire.”
The United States blocked the motion, despite the support of fourteen of the fifteen members of the Council, according to the AP news agency, which cited Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour, who later spoke with reporters. According to US envoy Robert Wood, the incident’s specifics remain unknown.
Shortly after 04:45 (02:45 GMT) on Thursday, an incident occurred at the Nabulsi roundabout, located on the periphery of Gaza City’s southwest.
He stated, “We were informed that no gunfire would occur as a shipment of flour passed through Al-Nabulsi Street.”
“On our way to purchase flour to feed our children.” We approached Nabulsi Street, where gunfire erupted prior to the arrival of the vehicles.
We approached the trucks as they approached, and as we attempted to remove the first sack of flour from the truck, they opened fire.
Hospital Struggles Amidst Gaza Crisis
Mr Rihan stated that he was transported to the hospital on a trolley and that a lack of electricity has caused a delay in his X-rays.
Khaled al-Tarawish, who was also injured, reported that his al-Awada Hospital surgery had been delayed as well, citing a fuel shortage.
“I went to Nabulsi Street to get a bag of flour,” he reported. “I escaped the vehicle due to the crowd and proceeded to the Awda hospital, where I was informed that I required surgery; however, the operation was postponed for three days due to the unavailability of diesel fuel.”
My sole objective is to furnish the hospital with diesel gasoline in order to facilitate my surgical procedure and medical treatment.
As it made its journey north along a “humanitarian corridor” that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed its forces were securing, a convoy of thirty lorries carrying Egyptian aid went.
According to Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, the IDF’s senior spokesman, the convoy was surrounded by civilians and individuals started climbing onto the trucks.
He stated that some Gazans began violently shoving and even trampling fellow citizens to death while pillaging the humanitarian supplies. As a consequence of the unfortunate incident, dozens of Gazans were slain and injured.
According to him, Israeli tanks cautiously attempted to disperse the throng with a few warning shots, but withdrew when the number of casualties grew into the thousands and the situation escalated.
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, an additional spokesman for the IDF, stated that some civilians approached a checkpoint located approximately 70 meters (230 feet) distant while ignoring the soldiers’ warning shots.
According to him, out of concern that some of the approaching civilians presented a threat, the soldiers opened fire in what they termed a “limited response.”
Dire Consequences of Gaza Conflict
Hamas refuted the IDF’s claim, citing “undeniable” evidence of “direct firing at civilians, including immediately lethal headshots.”
The occurrence transpired hours prior to the health ministry of Gaza’s declaration that over 30,000 individuals, consisting of 21,000 children and women, had perished in Gaza since the onset of the ongoing conflict on October 7. It stated that approximately 7,000 individuals were reported missing, while 70,450 sustained injuries.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic human toll of the Gaza conflict,” Mr Guterres continued. “According to reports, over 70,000 people have been injured and over 30,000 have been killed.”
I reiterate my demand for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire and the release of all hostages without conditions.
Natalie Roberts, executive director of Mรฉdecins Sans Frontiรจres (Doctors Without Borders) in the United Kingdom, stated that providing assistance to a population in deep poverty without sufficient security measures posed a catastrophic risk.
“We are aware that in the north there have been very few aid convoys in recent weeks; consequently, people have been unable to obtain food.”
“We have learned from our own employees that they are sometimes forced to eat animal food and go days without food.” As a result, individuals are completely destitute, and this was an inevitable consequence of attempting to transport food to the area without providing any type of security for the convoy.
In the northern portion of the territory, where an estimated 300,000 people are surviving with little access to potable water and food, the United Nations has issued a famine alert.
The Israeli military initiated an extensive aerial and ground operation with the objective of annihilating Hamas, an organisation that is classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United Kingdom, and other nations. This action was taken in response to the murder of approximately 1,200 individuals in southern Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, along with the abduction of 253 hostages back to Gaza.
