Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for food aid southwest of Gaza City, resulting in the death of at least 112 people and the injury of over 750. The incident occurred early in the morning on Thursday at Harun al-Rashid Street.
Witnesses described the shooting as a massacre, with Israeli forces firing on people in need of food aid. The Israeli military claimed the trucks carrying aid were managed by private contractors and that their troops felt threatened by the crowd, leading them to open fire.
The shooting took place in northern Gaza, where food deliveries had been scarce. Aid agencies have been facing challenges in delivering critical supplies to Gaza, leading to the risk of famine among the population. The international community, including the UN, US, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, condemned the attack and called for an investigation.
The incident occurred amid negotiations between Israel and Hamas to bring a pause to the fighting and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. Hamas warned that they could stop participating in the negotiations following the deadly incident. Despite earlier optimism from US President Joe Biden about a ceasefire, both sides downplayed the prospects of an immediate breakthrough in talks.