Palestinians say Israeli troops fired at people seeking food. Israel says scene was deadly stampede
By WAFAA SHURAFA, KAREEM CHEHAYEB and MELANIE LIDMAN (Related Press)
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians racing to tug meals off an support convoy in Gaza Metropolis on Thursday, witnesses mentioned. Greater than 100 individuals have been killed within the chaos, bringing the demise toll for the reason that begin of the Israel-Hamas warfare to greater than 30,000, in accordance with well being officers.
Israel mentioned lots of the useless have been trampled in a chaotic stampede for the meals support and that its troops solely fired once they felt endangered by the gang.
The violence was rapidly condemned by Arab nations, and U.S. President Joe Biden expressed concern it could add to the issue of negotiating a cease-fire within the practically five-month battle.
The Gaza Metropolis space was among the many first targets of Israel’s air, sea and floor offensive, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault into Israel.
Whereas many Palestinians fled the invasion within the north of the enclave, just a few hundred thousand are believed to stay within the largely devastated and remoted area. A number of deliveries of support reached the realm this week, officers mentioned.
The lethal chaos in Gaza Metropolis will probably gas criticism of Israel in terms of permitting support in.
Assist teams say it has turn out to be practically unimaginable to ship provides in most of Gaza due to the issue of coordinating with the Israeli navy, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order, with crowds of determined individuals overwhelming support convoys. The U.N. says 1 / 4 of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians face hunger; round 80% have fled their properties.
Army officers mentioned the pre-dawn convoy of 30 vehicles driving to northern Gaza have been met by large crowds of individuals attempting to seize the help they have been carrying. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed within the stampede, and a few have been run over by the vehicles because the drivers tried to get away, mentioned Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief navy spokesperson.
Israeli troops guarding the realm fired warning photographs towards the gang as a result of they felt endangered, he mentioned.
“We didn’t open fireplace on these searching for support. Opposite to the accusations, we didn’t open fireplace on a humanitarian support convoy, not from the air and never from land. We secured it so it may attain northern Gaza,” he mentioned.
Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being handled for a gunshot wound at Shifa Hospital, mentioned he and others went to the distribution level in the course of the night time as a result of they heard there could be a supply of meals. “We’ve been consuming animal feed for 2 months,” he mentioned.
He mentioned Israeli troops opened fireplace on the gang as individuals pulled containers of flour and canned items off the vehicles, inflicting the Palestinians to scatter, with some hiding beneath vehicles. After the taking pictures stopped, individuals went again to the vehicles, and the troopers opened fireplace once more. He was shot within the leg and fell over, after which a truck ran over his leg because it sped off, he mentioned.
A minimum of 112 individuals have been killed, Gaza Well being Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra mentioned. The ministry described it as a “bloodbath” and mentioned greater than 700 others have been injured.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan accused Israel of focusing on civilians within the incident. In separate statements, they known as for elevated secure passages for humanitarian support. Additionally they urged the worldwide group to take decisive motion to strain Israel to abide by worldwide legislation and to succeed in an settlement for a direct cease-fire.
Biden spoke with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar in regards to the deaths, in accordance with U.S. officers, and the U.N. Safety Council scheduled emergency closed consultations on them for later Thursday.
“We’re urgently searching for further data on precisely what happened,” State Division spokesman Matthew Miller mentioned.
The rising alarm over starvation throughout Gaza has fueled worldwide requires a cease-fire, and the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are working to safe a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in preventing and the discharge of a few of the hostages Hamas took throughout its Oct. 7 assault.
Mediators hope to succeed in an settlement earlier than the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins round March 10. However up to now, Israel and Hamas have remained far aside in public on their calls for.
Biden had earlier expressed hope {that a} deal could be accomplished by Monday. He mentioned Thursday that seemed unlikely.
“Hope springs everlasting,” Biden advised reporters. “I used to be on the phone with individuals from the area. Most likely not by Monday, however I’m hopeful.”
When requested if the bloodshed in Gaza Metropolis on Thursday would complicate these efforts, he mentioned, “I do know it’s going to.”
In an announcement condemning Thursday’s assault, Hamas mentioned it could not permit the negotiations “to be a canopy for the enemy to proceed its crimes.”
Medics arriving on the scene of the bloodshed Thursday discovered “dozens or a whole lot” mendacity on the bottom, in accordance with Fares Afana, the pinnacle of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He mentioned there weren’t sufficient ambulances to gather all of the useless and wounded and that some have been being dropped at hospitals in donkey carts.
One other man within the crowd — who gave solely his first identify, Ahmad, as he was being handled at a hospital for gunshot wounds to the arm and leg — mentioned he waited for 2 hours earlier than somebody with a horse-drawn cart had room to take him to Shifa.
The violence got here greater than a month after witnesses and well being officers in Gaza accused Israeli troops of firing on a earlier support distribution in Gaza Metropolis, killing a minimum of 20 individuals.
Dr. Mohammed Salha, the appearing director of the Al-Awda Hospital, mentioned the ability acquired 161 wounded sufferers, most of whom appeared to have been shot. He mentioned the hospital can carry out solely probably the most important surgical procedures as a result of it’s operating out of gas to energy emergency mills.
The Well being Ministry mentioned the Palestinian demise toll from the warfare has climbed to 30,035, with one other 70,457 wounded. The company doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures however says girls and kids make up round two-thirds of these killed.
The ministry, which is a part of the Hamas-run authorities in Gaza, maintains detailed information of casualties. Its counts from earlier wars have largely matched these of the U.N., unbiased consultants and even Israel’s personal tallies.
The Hamas assault into southern Israel that ignited the warfare killed 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, and the militants seized round 250 hostages. Hamas and different militants are nonetheless holding round 100 hostages and the stays of about 30 extra, after releasing many of the different captives throughout a November cease-fire.
Violence has additionally surged throughout the West Financial institution since Oct. 7. An attacker shot and killed two Israelis at a fuel station within the settlement of Eli on Thursday, in accordance with the Israeli navy. The attacker was killed, the navy mentioned.
In the meantime, U.N. officers have warned of additional mass casualties if Israel follows by means of on vows to assault the southernmost metropolis of Rafah, the place greater than half of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.3 million has taken refuge. Additionally they say a Rafah offensive may decimate what stays of support operations.
A whole lot of 1000’s of Palestinians are believed to stay in northern Gaza regardless of Israeli orders to evacuate the realm in October, and plenty of have been decreased to consuming animal fodder to outlive. The U.N. says 1 in 6 kids beneath 2 within the north endure from acute malnutrition and losing.
COGAT, the Israeli navy physique accountable for Palestinian civilian affairs, mentioned round 50 support vehicles entered northern Gaza this week. It was unclear who delivered the help. Some nations have resorted to airdrops in latest days.
The World Meals Program mentioned earlier this month that it was pausing deliveries to the north due to the rising chaos, after determined Palestinians emptied a convoy whereas it was en route.
Since launching its assault on Gaza following Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault, Israel has barred entry of meals, water, drugs and different provides, aside from a trickle of support coming into the south from Egypt on the Rafah crossing and Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing. Regardless of worldwide calls to permit in additional support, the variety of provide vehicles is much lower than the five hundred that got here in every day earlier than the warfare.
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Chehayeb reported from Beirut and Lidman from Tel Aviv, Israel.
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Discover extra of AP’s protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war