Dozens Killed and Injured in Israeli Fire on Palestinians Collecting Food Aid in Gaza
In a tragic incident that unfolded early Thursday morning, Israeli troops opened fire on hundreds of Palestinians who were waiting to collect food aid in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 112 people and leaving over 750 wounded. The incident took place at Harun al-Rashid Street in Gaza, where aid trucks carrying flour were expected to arrive.
The shooting occurred at around 04:30 local time, as people gathered in large groups, eagerly awaiting the much-needed aid. According to the Israeli military, a convoy of 31 trucks entered Gaza, but only about 20 made it to the north earlier in the week. As people crowded around the trucks, they were suddenly fired upon by various military equipment. Witnesses reported that after the first round of shooting stopped, people returned to the trucks, only to be met with another round of gunfire. The situation quickly turned chaotic, with Israeli tanks advancing and running over many of the dead and injured bodies.
The shooting took place on al-Rashid Street at the Nabulsi Roundabout in the southwestern side of Gaza City. This area has been experiencing a shortage of food deliveries, with the first shipments in over a month arriving just this week. The incident occurred one day after Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP), warned the United Nations Security Council that more than 500,000 people in Gaza, or one in four individuals, were at risk of famine.
Palestinian witnesses described the incident as a massacre, with Israeli forces firing on a crowd of people who were desperately waiting for food aid. Many felt that it was a trap or an ambush. One witness recounted, “We had come here to get our hands on some aid. I have been waiting since noon yesterday. At about 4:30 in the early morning, trucks started to trickle in. The Israelis just opened random fire on us as if it was a trap. Once we approached the aid trucks, the Israeli tanks and warplanes started firing on us.” Witnesses also reported that the stampede occurred as a result of the Israeli firing, and that the trucks even rolled over wounded individuals, further adding to the death toll.
The Israeli military initially tried to blame the crowd for the incident, suggesting that the casualties were a result of being crushed and trampled in a stampede when the aid trucks arrived. However, witnesses vehemently denied this claim, asserting that the stampede only happened after Israeli troops started firing at people seeking food.
The situation with aid in Gaza has been dire, with agencies claiming that Israel has been deliberately delaying deliveries. Israel denies these allegations. Skau highlighted the risk of famine, explaining that critical food supplies have been unable to enter Gaza in sufficient quantities due to the challenging operating conditions faced by aid workers. The number of trucks delivering aid has decreased by 40 percent since a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) a month ago, which stated that Israel must take steps to prevent genocidal acts in the territory.
The international community has reacted strongly to the incident. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned it as an “ugly massacre,” while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his condemnation and called for urgent help for the desperate civilians in Gaza. The US government sought answers from Israel but stopped short of directly condemning the killings. Other countries, such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia, also condemned the attack and called for Israel to respect international humanitarian law.
This incident is one of the deadliest single incidents in Israel’s war on Gaza and has further complicated ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas. These negotiations aim to bring about a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. Hamas has warned that it may stop participating in the negotiations following the shooting. US President Joe Biden had expressed hope for a ceasefire by “next Monday,” but both Israel and Hamas have downplayed the prospects of an early breakthrough. Biden has been in touch with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt in an effort to continue the negotiations.
The tragic events that unfolded in Gaza serve as a stark reminder of the dire humanitarian situation faced by the Palestinian people. The need for immediate aid and a resolution to the conflict is more pressing than ever, as innocent lives continue to be lost in the ongoing violence.