(RightWing.org) – A riot around humanitarian aid trucks has left dozens of people — possibly over a hundred — dead in Gaza. Palestinian sources are calling it a “massacre” and blaming the Israeli military for the deaths. Israel admits its soldiers opened fire, but says most of the dead were trampled to death by the mob.
On February 29, a convoy of aid trucks carrying food to Gaza City was surrounded by a mob of hundreds of people who tried to loot their cargo. Aid convoys are supposed to deliver food to UN distribution centers, but since the Israel-Hamas war began last October many of them have been looted, either by Hamas gunmen or crowds of Palestinian civilians.
In the latest incident, Israel released drone footage showing a large crowd surrounding the trucks. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement claiming “dozens of Gazans were injured as a result of pushing and trampling” and added that it’s “under review.” The IDF also said some Palestinians approached its troops, who fired warning shots and then engaged “those who posed a threat and did not move away.” According to the military, fewer than ten people were injured by Israeli fire, while most of the casualties were trampled or run over by the aid trucks.
Gaza’s health ministry –- which is controlled by the Hamas terrorist group –- says at least 104 people were killed and more than 750 injured. Spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra called it a “massacre,” while Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah group doesn’t control Gaza, went further and said it was an “ugly massacre conducted by the Israeli occupation army.”
Responding to the incident, President Biden said his administration was evaluating the “competing versions” of the incident and had discussed it with Arab allies. He also admitted that his optimistic claims that a ceasefire would be in place by March 4 were now unlikely to work out.
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