Over 100 Palestinians were reportedly killed and at least 700 wounded in Gaza City yesterday after Israeli forces opened fire on crowds gathering near a convoy of aid trucks. The chaotic scene drew conflicting accounts—witnesses accused Israeli troops of firing as residents received food supplies, while the Israeli military claimed the crowd stampeded toward the trucks and allegedly looted supplies. Israeli officials attributed many casualties to overcrowding, trampling, and being run over by the trucks and said they would look into adapting its aid delivery protocols.
Hamas warned the incident may lead to a breakdown in negotiations over the release of roughly 100 remaining hostages and a potential cease-fire. Officials brokering the deal between Hamas and Israel previously said a six-week pause in fighting in exchange for a hostage release could be agreed upon soon.
The incident could also further complicate access to aid in Gaza due to the collapse of security in the enclave, observers said. At least one-quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million people face starvation, according to the UN.
Gaza's death toll now exceeds 30,000, per the Hamas-run Health Ministry. See more war updates here.
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