TORONTO, Canada
The United Nations chief on Thursday condemned Israeli forces who opened fire on Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid south of Gaza City, killing more than 100 victims and injuring 700 others.
"The Secretary-General
condemns the incident today in northern Gaza in which more than a hundred
people were reportedly killed or injured while seeking life-saving aid,"
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Antonio Guterres, said in a briefing.
Dujarric reiterated Guterres'
demand for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and said the UN chief
"once again calls for urgent steps so that critical humanitarian aid can
get into and across Gaza to all those in need."
ALSO READ: Strike on Palestinians waiting for aid kills 80
"The continued
hostilities and other challenges continue to impede our efforts to reach
civilians in Gaza with life-saving health and nutrition care," Dujarric
added.
Refraining from mentioning
Israel in the condemnation of the attack, Dujarric said the UN is aware of
deaths related to dehydration and malnutrition in Gaza and urged a thorough
investigation.
Early Thursday, Israeli forces
shelled a crowd of Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid south of Gaza City
at the "al-Nabulsi Roundabout" area, leaving at least 104 dead and
760 injured, according to the Gaza-based Health Ministry.
The Israeli military said an
initial investigation found that Palestinians approached a military checkpoint
overseeing the entry of the aid trucks when soldiers fired warning shots and
shot at the legs of Palestinians who continued to move toward the troops.
Dujarric commented on the
ongoing investigation of UNRWA by the UN's Office of Internal Oversight
Services and said it reviewed initial information from Israeli authorities and
is planning to visit Israel to obtain additional details.
Israel has launched a deadly
military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by
Hamas in which less than 1,200 people were killed.
At least 30,035 Palestinians
have since been killed in Gaza, and 70,457 others injured amid mass destruction
and shortages of necessities.
Israel has also imposed a
crippling blockade on the coastal enclave, leaving its population, particularly
residents in the north where the shootings on Thursday took place, on the verge
of starvation.
The Israeli war has pushed 85%
of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food,
clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been
damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel is accused of genocide
at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel
Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian
assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
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