After the deaths of many Palestinians when aid arrived in the Gaza Strip, calls for a ceasefire have become louder internationally. At the same time, Israel was called upon to clarify the circumstances of the deadly disaster. Aid organizations also pointed out the catastrophic humanitarian situation of the approximately 2.2 million people in the Gaza Strip. Several Arab countries accused Israel of being responsible for the deaths. Israel’s military denies this.
It was initially impossible to predict what the incident would mean for the tough negotiations over a ceasefire. Fears were expressed in the Israeli media that the incident could strengthen Hamas’s negotiating position and become a turning point in the war, which has been going on for almost five months.
Different representations of the deadly catastrophe
What exactly happened on Thursday when an aid convoy arrived remained unclear the day after. What is certain is that many desperate people tried to get relief supplies. According to the health authority controlled by the Islamist Hamas, more than a hundred are said to have died. Over 700 were injured. The total number of Palestinians killed was put at 30,228 on Friday. 71,377 are said to have been injured. The numbers cannot be independently verified.
While the Palestinian side said that Israeli soldiers had deliberately fired into the crowd, the Israeli military blamed the chaos and crowds for the deaths. Shots were fired, but only a few people were injured. Army spokesman Peter Lerner told CNN that initial reports indicate that a group of people had approached Israeli soldiers.
The military then fired warning shots into the air. However, the group continued to approach the soldiers and posed a threat, whereupon the soldiers opened fire. According to Israeli media reports, they were said to have targeted the legs.
WHO attributes the incident to the supply situation
The World Health Organization (WHO) attributes the incident in the Gaza Strip to the catastrophic supply situation in the Palestinian territory. The people in the coastal strip are so desperate for food, water and other supplies that they are risking their lives, said WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier in Geneva. “This is the real drama, this is the real catastrophe here,” he said.
Brazil sharply criticizes Israel’s government. “The Netanyahu government has once again shown through its actions and statements that the military action in Gaza knows no ethical or legal limits,” Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said, describing the incident as a “massacre.” It is the task of the international community to put an end to this in order to prevent further atrocities.
Baerbock reiterates call for a ceasefire
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was shocked and at the same time demanded clarification from Israel. “People wanted aid for themselves and their families and found themselves dead. The reports from Gaza shock me,” wrote the Green politician on X (formerly Twitter). The Israeli army must fully explain how the mass panic and shootings occurred.
Baerbock expressed her condolences to the victims’ families and called for more humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip. The people there are “closer to dying than alive.” Baerbock reiterated her call for a humanitarian ceasefire “so that the hostages can finally be released from the hands of Hamas and more people don’t die in Gaza. And help can be distributed safely.”
Reports: Hostage negotiations face new difficulties
According to media reports, Israel’s indirect negotiations with Hamas over a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages are facing new difficulties. Israel does not want to take part in a new round of talks brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the USA until Hamas presents a list of the hostages still alive, the news portal “Axios” reported.
The Islamists from the Gaza Strip have also not yet given an answer regarding the number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons proposed by the mediators that Israel would release in return for the release of a certain number of hostages.
All of these questions remained unanswered even after three days of talks in the Qatari capital Doha, the portal quoted an unnamed Israeli official as saying. A next round of negotiations should take place in Cairo next week. However, Israel will not take part as long as Hamas does not answer the outstanding questions, said the Israeli source.
EU wants to pay 50 million euros to UNRWA
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was “deeply disturbed” by the incident. Every effort must be made to investigate what happened and ensure transparency, she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “The images from the Gaza Strip deeply disturb me.”
Humanitarian aid is a lifeline for those in need and access to it must be guaranteed. “We stand by the civilian population and push for their protection in accordance with international law,” said von der Leyen. He was “shocked and disgusted by yesterday’s killing of innocent civilians in Gaza who are desperately waiting for humanitarian aid.” Those responsible should be held accountable, EU Council President Charles Michel also wrote on X.
The EU Commission wants to pay a further 68 million euros in emergency aid for the Palestinians this year. The Brussels authority said the money would go to international partners such as the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. In addition, a planned 50 million euros are to be paid out next week to the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, which has come under criticism. 16 countries recently froze their payments to UNRWA. This was preceded by Israeli allegations that some of the organization’s employees were said to have been involved in the massacres in Israel on October 7th.
USA: Will push for answers
The US government is in contact with the Israeli government about the incident and is demanding answers. It is the US understanding that an investigation is ongoing, said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. “We will closely monitor this investigation and push for answers.” There is no reliable information about what happened, said Miller. The “tragedy” could make negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages held by the Islamist Hamas more complicated.
China also condemned the incident. China is “shocked” by this and condemns the incident, said Foreign Office spokeswoman Mao Ning on Friday in Beijing. The People’s Republic calls on all sides and especially Israel to immediately cease fire and end the war. The safety of civilians must be protected and an even more serious humanitarian catastrophe must be avoided, the spokeswoman said.
Strong criticism of Israel came from several Arab states. It was a “heinous massacre” committed by Israel, said a statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry on Thursday evening. The international community must force Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and protect the Palestinian people from violations, according to the government in Doha, which is playing an important role in negotiations for another ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
