112 Palestinians are reported to have lost their lives, with 760 others injured, in their attempt to access crucial aid in Gaza.
On the coastal road southwest of Gaza City, crowds gathered around a convoy of trucks, with Israeli tanks present in the vicinity.
Israel’s military asserts that tanks discharged warning shots but refrained from targeting the convoy. However, some Palestinians claim that troops directly fired at them.
According to a Palestinian witness interviewed by the BBC, many of the casualties were individuals who were run over as truck drivers attempted to advance.
Israeli aerial footage depicts hundreds of people surrounding the trucks, while disturbing videos shared online depict bodies being loaded onto emptied aid trucks and a donkey cart.
The Hamas-led health ministry in Gaza has accused Israel of perpetrating a “massacre” following the revelation of 112 fatalities and 760 injuries.
The UN Security Council convened a closed-door emergency session to address the incident. Algeria, representing the Arab bloc, proposed a draft statement attributing blame to Israeli forces for “opening fire.”
Although 14 out of the Council’s 15 members supported the motion, the United States vetoed it, as reported by the AP news agency, citing Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour. US envoy Robert Wood cited unclear facts as the reason for the block.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden expressed concerns that the incident could complicate mediation efforts to achieve a temporary ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. France condemned the “unjustifiable” act of Israeli soldiers firing upon civilians seeking access to food.