Scores of Palestinians were killed and injured on Thursday during an outbreak of violence in which Israeli troops opened fire near a convoy of food trucks attempting to deliver humanitarian aid in northern Gaza.
Israel has denied its forces shot at the crowd, stating that most of the victims were trampled or hit as the trucks sought to escape the early-morning chaos. However, it has acknowledged that the events are currently under review. Witnesses and doctors cited by the Associated Press reported numerous gunshot wounds among the dead and injured.
The deadly incident has raised concerns about the ongoing efforts to negotiate a cease-fire, with US President Joe Biden warning of further setbacks. Talks facilitated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt are ongoing in hopes of achieving a pause in the conflict, allowing for the delivery of more aid and potentially facilitating the exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners.
The recent flare-up of violence comes as Israel’s military campaign in Gaza approaches its fifth month. The conflict began when militants from the Islamist group Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and the kidnapping of 250 individuals. Israel’s response has led to over 30,000 casualties, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and has caused significant devastation in Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands with limited or no access to essential resources such as food and healthcare. It’s important to note that Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by both the US and the European Union.
Senior Biden administration officials have been in touch with the Israeli government about the incident and the US will monitor the investigation and press for answers, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters Thursday.
According to witness Mohammed al-Shouli, who spoke by phone, thousands of people had gathered to await the arrival of trucks carrying humanitarian aid, which began passing through an Israeli checkpoint around 4 am.
“The first truck arrived and stopped about 300 meters away from the checkpoint,” al-Shouli recounted. “People swarmed the truck, and thousands proceeded further to other trucks, searching for flour.”
He mentioned that a total of 20 trucks entered the area, with the initial seven carrying water and canned food, and another five containing flour.
“As people moved further south towards the trucks carrying flour, they got closer to the tanks, and that’s when the shooting began,” al-Shouli explained. “The trucks became almost invisible as thousands of people climbed over them.”
‘Warning Shots’
“Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel Defense Force spokesman, said tanks were deployed to secure the corridor for aid and troops fired “a few warning shots” to disperse what it called a “mob.”
“When the hundreds became thousands and things got out of hand, the tank commander decided to retreat to avoid harm to the thousands of Gazans that were there,” Hagari said. “No IDF strike was conducted toward the aid convoy.”
An earlier army account said a handful of the casualties were caused by its soldiers, the rest a result of the chaos. One Israeli military officer said some Gazans seeking aid approached the forces in a threatening manner, and some responded with live fire.
Jadallah Shafai, the head of the nursing department at Shifa Hospital, told the Al Jazeera network that around 50 people were killed and 250 wounded. Al Jazeera ran footage showing several bodies and injured people arriving at Shifa.
Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, said the facility had received at least 10 bodies and 160 wounded people, according to the Associated Press.
The hospitals are barely functioning, however, after Israeli attacks since the start of the conflict, which initially focused on the north. Israel says Hamas fighters and military equipment were hidden inside and underneath the facilities, forcing it to send in its troops.
Northern Gaza, where the events occurred, is in a particularly dire state, with hungry people searching for animal feed to turn into flour. Aid enters Gaza from the south and Israel has been insisting that those seeking help should travel in that direction.
Nonetheless, several hundred thousand Palestinians have stayed in the north and Israel has started to allow trucks to travel there. But the delivery of the aid has been fraught with looting.”