Hamas reports around a hundred dead in Gaza on the sidelines of humanitarian distribution
The Hamas Health Ministry reported at least 104 deaths and 760 injured in Gaza City during a distribution of humanitarian aid, denouncing a “massacre”.
Israeli sources confirm live ammunition.
Injured people at Kamal Edwan hospital in Beit Lahia after the Israeli army opened fire on civilians who had rushed onto humanitarian aid trucks, February 29, 2024. AFP - -
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More than a hundred civilians died and at least 760 were injured while rushing into humanitarian aid trucks in the northern
Gaza Strip
.
while they were waiting for humanitarian aid trucks this Thursday, February 29, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health, in power in the Palestinian enclave.
“
The death toll from the massacre on al-Rashid Street in Gaza City now stands at 104 dead and 760 injured
,” Hamas health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said in a statement, revising on the rise an initial hospital report which reported at least 50 deaths.
To explain what happened, the emergency director of al-Chifa hospital in Gaza City, Amjad Aliwa, first indicated that
Israeli soldiers
had shot “
thousands of citizens
” who were rushing towards trucks, while the territory is on the verge of famine.
At the same time, witnesses also reported to AFP scenes in which thousands of people rushed towards aid trucks in a roundabout in the west of the city.
Crowd movement and people “trampled”, according to the Israeli army
For its part, according to the Israeli army, 30 aid trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing point early in the morning and headed north, reports Israeli media
Haaretz
.
Arriving at the junction of Gaza City, the trucks were stormed by residents, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed, resulting in
dozens of people being “
trampled
”
to death .
The trucks continued their journey north and, when they reached the Rimal neighborhood, armed individuals reportedly attacked the trucks to loot them.
At that point, according to the Israeli military's account, some of the crowd began to approach an IDF unit in the area, prompting soldiers to fire warning shots in the air at a distance of several tens of meters, before aiming at the legs of those who continued to advance towards them.
These Israeli soldiers felt “
threatened
” before firing live ammunition at Palestinians, Israeli sources told AFP.
On X (formerly Twitter), the Israeli army shared a video which it claimed showed humanitarian trucks being attacked by Palestinians.
In another tweet, the army specifies that “
the details of the event are being examined
”.
תיעוד אווירי של המבצע להכנסת סיוע הומניטארי לצפון רצועת עזה, המראה , דוחק ודריסה>> pic.twitter.com/a7DqU9kKFB
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) February 29, 2024
A “horrible massacre”, according to the Palestinian Authority
Hamas responded by indicating that this incident could derail negotiations regarding a ceasefire and an agreement to release the hostages.
“
The negotiations carried out by the leadership of the movement are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people
,” the organization said, referring to Thursday's deaths and asserting that Israel would be responsible for any failure of the talks.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office said it "
condemns the horrific massacre carried out by the Israeli occupation army this morning against people waiting for aid trucks at the Nabulsi roundabout
."
(
And with
AFP)
Also read More than 30,000 dead in Gaza, according to Hamas: “When will this nightmare end?”
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