March 1 (UPI) — A call by the United Nations for an investigation into a disputed incident that left 117 Palestinians dead and hundreds more injured in northern Gaza as they awaited delivery of food aid received the backing Friday of the European Union and at least three European countries.
France, Germany and Italy called for a probe after U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the killing and injuring of “desperate civilians in urgent need of help” on Thursday and said an independent investigation was required to get to the bottom of the incident.
Hamas alleges the civilians died after Israeli troops opened fire but the Israeli Defense Forces said people were trampled after the crowd rushed the aid trucks.
EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borell called it “totally unacceptable carnage,” French President Emmanuel Macron said civilians had been “targeted by Israeli soldiers,” while German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said the IDF must “fully explain” how so many Palestinians trying to access humanitarian for themselves and their families ended up being killed.
“The reports from Gaza shock me. The Israeli army must fully explain how the mass panic and shooting could have happened,” said Baerbock.
“In Gaza people are closer to dying than to living. More humanitarian aid needs to come in. Immediately.”
However, she also called for a major humanitarian effort to bring about a cease-fire that would see Israeli hostages released by Hamas, an end to the killing in Gaza and allow aid to be distributed safely.
In a post on X, the U.N.’s global chief of emergency relief operations, Martin Griffiths, expressed consternation at the incident.
“Even after close to five months of brutal hostilities, Gaza still has the ability to shock us. I am appalled at the reported killing and injury of hundreds of people during a transfer of aid supplies west of Gaza City today,” he said.
“Life is draining out of Gaza at terrifying speed.”
Amid the gathering diplomatic row, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported on social media that the incident had helped increase the casualty toll in the 24-hour period to noon local time Friday to least 193 people killed and 920 injured, bringing the total number killed since the Oct. 7 start of the war to 30,228 and 71,377 injured.
U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday that his officials were trying to establish the facts surrounding the killing of the civilians waiting for aid but acknowledged it would complicate negotiations for a cease-fire he had hoped would be announced as soon as Monday.
“Regarding the civilians killed by Israeli military forces while waiting for food aid in Gaza on Thursday, Biden said, “We’re checking that out right now. But two — there’s two competing versions of what happened. I don’t have an answer yet.”
