Israeli Troops Open Fire on Palestinians Waiting for Aid in Gaza City, Killing Over 100
In a tragic turn of events, Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians who were waiting for aid in Gaza City on Thursday. Witnesses reported that more than 100 people were killed in the incident, adding to the already devastating death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, which now stands at over 30,000 according to health officials. The incident occurred as people were pulling flour and canned goods off of trucks, which were delivering much-needed food to the area.
Gaza City and its surrounding areas have been the primary targets of Israel’s air, sea, and ground offensive in response to Hamas’ attack on October 7. The region has suffered widespread devastation and has been largely isolated during the conflict. However, this week marked a significant milestone as trucks carrying food reached northern Gaza, providing the first major aid delivery to the area in a month.
Despite these efforts, aid groups have expressed that delivering humanitarian assistance in most of Gaza has become nearly impossible due to the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, ongoing hostilities, and the breakdown of public order. Desperate crowds of people overwhelming aid convoys have further complicated the situation. The United Nations estimates that a quarter of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians are facing starvation, with approximately 80% having fled their homes.
One survivor, Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at Shifa Hospital, shared his harrowing experience. He explained that he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night upon hearing about the food delivery. Abu Nahel revealed, “We’ve been eating animal feed for two months.” He recounted how Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd, causing chaos and forcing people to hide under cars. After a brief pause in the shooting, they returned to the trucks only to face another round of gunfire. Abu Nahel was shot in the leg and fell over, and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped away.
Medics who arrived at the scene found numerous casualties lying on the ground. Fares Afana, the head of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan Hospital, stated that there were not enough ambulances to collect all the dead and wounded. Some were even transported to hospitals in donkey carts. The Health Ministry reported that at least 104 people were killed, and around 760 were wounded in what they described as a “massacre.”
The Palestinian death toll from the war has now reached a staggering 30,035, with an additional 70,457 wounded. While the Health Ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures, it notes that women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed. The Hamas-run government in Gaza maintains detailed records of casualties, and their counts have consistently aligned with those of the United Nations, independent experts, and even Israel’s own tallies.
The dire situation in Gaza has sparked international concern over hunger, leading to calls for another cease-fire. The United States, Egypt, and Qatar are currently working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some hostages. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on March 10. However, public demands from both sides have kept them far apart.
Meanwhile, U.N. officials have issued warnings about the potential for further mass casualties if Israel proceeds with its plans to attack Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza where more than half of the population has sought refuge. They also express concerns that such an offensive could severely impact aid operations. Despite Israeli orders to evacuate the area in October, several hundred thousand Palestinians remain in northern Gaza, many of whom are resorting to eating animal fodder to survive. The U.N. reports that one in six children under the age of two in the north suffer from acute malnutrition and wasting.
While around 50 aid trucks entered northern Gaza this week, it remains unclear who delivered the aid. Some countries have resorted to airdrops in recent days due to the growing chaos and difficulties faced by aid convoys. The World Food Program had temporarily paused deliveries to the north earlier this month after desperate Palestinians emptied a convoy while it was en route.
Israel has been heavily criticized for its restrictions on the entry of food, water, medicine, and other supplies into Gaza. Despite international calls for increased aid, the number of supply trucks remains significantly lower than before the war, with only a trickle of aid entering from Egypt and Israel. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of Palestinian civilian affairs, claims that it does not impose limits on aid entering Gaza. However, it blames U.N. agencies for the bottleneck, stating that hundreds of trucks are waiting on the Palestinian side of the crossing for aid workers to collect them. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric countered this claim