The killing of over 100 people in Gaza during aid distribution to Palestinians has sparked widespread international condemnation, with many countries describing the incident as a tragic and alarming event that underscores the urgent need for a ceasefire.
U.S. President Joe Biden has called for a swift agreement to cease hostilities after the deaths of over 100 individuals in Gaza during the distribution of aid to Palestinians.
On Thursday, February 29, 2024, Biden spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as reported by the White House.
The White House stated that all leaders expressed sorrow for the loss of civilian lives, describing Thursday’s events as “a tragic and concerning incident.”
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares also condemned the incident on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
Via the “X” platform, Albares stated, “The unacceptable nature of what happened in Gaza, where dozens of Palestinian civilians died while waiting for food, reaffirms the urgent need for a ceasefire.”
He emphasized that “humanitarian aid must enter without obstacles” and stressed “the necessity of respecting international humanitarian law.”
France also condemned the killing of approximately a hundred Palestinians during the distribution of food aid in northern Gaza.
The French Foreign Ministry stated, “Israeli military personnel firing on civilians trying to access food is unjustifiable,” noting that “this tragic event occurs at a time when the humanitarian situation in Gaza represents an absolute emergency,” with “an unbearable number of Palestinian civilians suffering from hunger and disease.”
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza announced that at least 112 Palestinians were killed and 760 others injured on Thursday when a crowd rushed to a food aid convoy in Gaza City.
The Health Ministry in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, accused Israeli soldiers of firing and killing 104 people and injuring 760 others on Thursday during aid distribution to Palestinians.
It should be noted that Hamas, an Islamist Palestinian armed group, is classified as a terrorist organization by Germany, the European Union, the United States, and other countries.
### Israeli Military Denies Deliberately Attacking Gaza Residents Awaiting Aid
In response, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that Israeli soldiers did not deliberately attack anyone, following the deaths of dozens of Palestinians lining up for aid in Gaza.
Hagari’s statement, released via the social media platform “X” (formerly Twitter), on Thursday evening, mentioned that when a 30-truck aid convoy facilitated by the Israeli military arrived, “thousands of Gazans moved towards the trucks.”
Hagari explained, “Some began to push violently and even trample other Gaza residents to death, looting the humanitarian supplies.”
He continued, “The unfortunate incident resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens of Gaza residents.” Hagari noted that Israeli soldiers only fired warning shots into the air to disperse the crowds, and the forces then retreated.
“The Israeli military did not launch any raid towards the aid convoy,” he added, “We recognize the suffering of the innocents in Gaza. That’s why we are looking for ways to expand our humanitarian efforts.” These claims have not been independently verified.
Hamas and Egypt have blamed the Israeli military for the incident, accusing its soldiers of deliberately attacking the crowd and firing at those waiting for aid.
Egypt has condemned “in the strongest terms” the “inhuman Israeli targeting of a gathering of unarmed Palestinian civilians” awaiting aid trucks.
Senior UN officials today indicated that the Palestinian death toll due to Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip has exceeded 30,000.
