Over 100 Palestinians were killed in chaotic scenes in northern Gaza on Friday morning, according to Palestinian officials, when Israeli troops opened fire on large crowds that had gathered around recently arrived food aid trucks. The gunfire triggered panic and a rush towards the vehicles, resulting in many casualties.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that 104 people died and over 700 were injured. They said many victims were trampled or hit by trucks amid the chaos after troops started shooting. CNN could not independently confirm the figures.
An Israeli military spokesperson disputed aspects of this account but did not provide casualty numbers. “It was a limited response,” the spokesperson said regarding the gunfire.
According to journalist Khadeer Al Za’anoun, an eyewitness at the scene, large crowds had gathered on Haroun Al Rasheed Street awaiting food distribution, when the gunfire erupted suddenly. He stated the chaos and fatal truck accidents only began after Israeli forces opened fire on the crowd.
Israel acknowledged its troops did fire on the people, saying the soldiers were threatened. But Israel disputes that the gunfire itself caused the bulk of casualties. In their initial statement, the Israel Defense Forces claimed that injuries mainly resulted from pushing and trampling in the aid scramble before troops fired.
The tragic incident further inflames tensions, as negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue and the Gaza death toll has surpassed 30,000 over months of conflict. United Nations agencies warn over half a million Gazans now face famine conditions.
The revised version provides more detail attributed to witnesses and officials, highlights disputed accounts, and gives further context about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This aims to reduce confusion for readers around the complex and highly charged incident.
