More countries are calling for an investigation into the food storage tragedy in Gaza
An injured Palestinian receives medical treatment at Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid trucks on Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City on February 29. Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu/Getty Images
According to Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, said at least 115 people were killed and at least 760 injured on Thursday after Israeli forces opened fire while Palestinian civilians waited for food.
It is one of the deadliest tragedies in Gaza since Israel's war against Hamas began on October 7.
There are now increasing calls for an independent investigation into the incident. The United Nations has said an independent investigation is needed to establish the facts, and nations such as France have backed that call.
What happened: A convoy of at least 18 food trucks arrived in northern Gaza on Thursday morning, sent by several countries in the region. Palestinian civilians gathered around the newly arrived aid trucks hoping to get food, and Israeli forces soon began firing, witnesses said. Aid trucks tried to leave the area, accidentally hitting others and causing more deaths and injuries, witnesses told CNN. The Israeli military has offered a different account of the circumstances. In an update on Thursday, the Israeli military said Israeli tanks fired warning shots to disperse the crowd around the aid convoy after they saw people being trampled.
Worldwide calls for an investigation: This Friday, the White House announced that the United States had asked Israel to investigate the tragedy. Germany also called on Israel to “thoroughly investigate” the deaths. France said it would support the United Nations' call for an independent investigation, and the French foreign minister called events on the ground “indefensible.”
What it could mean for the war: The deaths come at a critical time in the conflict, as negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a deal to end fighting and allow humanitarian aid to Gaza reach a potentially pivotal moment. Senior Hamas member Izzat Al-Risheq warned that killing people collecting aid from trucks in Gaza could lead to the collapse of ongoing talks. U.S. officials said Friday there were no signs the discussions were significantly derailed, but much depends on Hamas's expected response to discussions in Paris and Doha last week among the other countries involved: Qatar, Egypt, Israel and the United Kingdom. US.
In the context of a terrible humanitarian situation: More than half a million people in Gaza are on the brink of famine, United Nations agencies warned earlier this week, as the war nears five months. Help was so scarce that when it was available it often caused panic. The United Nations reported Friday that at least 10 Palestinian children have died of starvation in Gaza and that number is expected to rise.
The flow of aid has slowed: The Rafah crossing, through which most aid has been delivered to the Gaza Strip, is now operating at a reduced pace, and Israel's alternative Kerem Shalom crossing is blocked by protesters demanding the release of hostages held by Hamas. . The Jordanian military conducted three aid drops in parts of Gaza City on Friday, and U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the United States will also conduct supply drops of its own in the coming days.