An Israeli government spokesperson has described Palestinian deaths during aid distribution near Gaza City today as a tragedy and claimed the drivers of aid trucks were to blame, a claim that conflicts with various other sources.
“At some point the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, which were Gazan civilian drivers, ploughed into the crowds of people, ultimately killing, my understanding is, tens of people,” spokesperson Avi Hyman said, while providing no evidence for the claim.
“It’s obviously a tragedy but we’re not sure of the specifics quite yet.”
The account is at odds with a report from a Palestinian who says he was injured in the incident and with a source who told Reuters that Israeli troops opened fire on “several people” among a crowd because they felt under threat.
What we know about deadly aid truck incident in northern Gaza
Conflicting reports have been emerging over a purportedly deadly incident during aid distribution west of Gaza City this morning.
Civilians were gathering to try to get food and medicine from aid trucks, but from there reports began to clash.
Here is everything that has been said about the incident so far.
Gaza health ministry: The Hamas-run ministry claimed 104 people were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for aid at Nabulsi roundabout.
Palestinian president: Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank, said there was an “ugly massacre conducted by the Israeli occupation army”.
Medical facilities: Some in the area reported receiving bodies and severely wounded people with gunshots in the upper part of their bodies.
Hospital chiefs: The head of Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza City, Hussam Abu Safieyah, said it had received 10 bodies and dozens of injured patients.
Head of the hospital’s ambulance service, Fares Afana, told the Associated Press that medics arriving at the scene found “dozens or hundreds” lying on the ground.
‘Casualty’ speaks: A man being treated for a gunshot wound at Shifa Hospital, Kamel Abu Nahel, told the Associated Press he was shot in the leg by the IDF after they opened fire on the crowd twice.
IDF: The Israel Defence Forces said Gazan residents were injured as a result of pushing and trampling as they surrounded the aid trucks and looted them.
Israeli government: An Israeli government spokesperson said the aid truck drivers “ploughed” into the crowd, killing “tens of people”.
Israel released footage it said showed crowds surrounding the trucks, in which one truck moved forward slightly while people were either side of it, before stopping again (see our earlier posts).
Hamas: Hamas released a statement accusing Israel of a targeted “hideous massacre”.
Aerial shots have been released by the IDF that purport to show the scene of the alleged massacre of Palestinians as they attempted to collect food from aid trucks in Gaza City.
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