CAIRO, March 1 — Gaza health authorities said Israeli forces on Thursday shot dead more than 100 Palestinians as they waited for an aid delivery, but Israel blamed the deaths on crowds that surrounded aid trucks, saying victims had been trampled or run over.
At least 112 people were killed and more than 280 wounded in the incident near Gaza City, Palestinian health officials said.
The loss of civilian lives was the biggest in weeks. Hamas said the incident could jeopardise talks in Qatar aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages it is holding. When asked if he thought it would complicate the talks, US President Joe Biden said: “I know it will”.
Medics in Gaza said they could not cope with the flood of serious injuries, which came as the death toll in nearly five months of war passed 30,000, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Israel disputed the account provided by officials in Hamas-run Gaza, which has been bombarded by Israeli forces for months since October 7.
The Israeli military said the trucks were operated by private contractors as part of an aid operation that it had been overseeing for the past four nights.
The US State Department said it was urgently seeking information on the incident as did the French foreign ministry.
The White House said Biden discussed the “tragic and alarming incident” with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, as well as ways to secure the release of Israeli hostages and a six-week ceasefire.
— Reuters
