Aid convoy deaths require independent investigation, U.N. chief says
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said yesterday that the death of at least 100 people after Israeli forces fired on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza City, would require an effective independent investigation.
Speaking in St. Vincent at the Grenadines ahead of a regional summit, Guterres said he was “shocked” by the latest episode in the conflict in Gaza.
Responding to questions about the U.N. Security Council’s deadlock over the conflict in Gaza, Guterres said worsening geopolitical divides had “transformed the veto power into an effective instrument of paralysis of the action of the Security Council.”
“I am totally convinced that we need a humanitarian cease-fire, and we need the unconditional and immediate release of hostages and that we should have a Security Council able to achieve these objectives,” he said.
The Israeli military confirmed, including in an exclusive interview with NBC News, that its forces used live fire in one of what it said were two nearby incidents.
IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari later denied its forces had shot people seeking aid.
“We did not fire at the humanitarian convoy either from the air or from the ground,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Details of the incident remain unclear. However, a video obtained by Al Jazeera show a crowd appearing to flee and duck amid audible gunfire. NBC News has geolocated the video to the area surrounding Al-Rashid Steet, but was unable to verify the precise time the video was filmed that night.
IDF releases edited video clips of yesterday’s deadly aid truck incident
Drone footage released by the Israeli army shows what it says are Palestinians around a humanitarian convoy in Gaza City yesterday.
In the screen shot below, people are seen crowded around what appear to be aid trucks. The short, edited video clips did not show the events that caused the casualties.
China ‘strongly condemns’ Gaza aid delivery deaths
China’s Foreign Ministry has reiterated calls for an immediate cease-fire following the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza who were gathered to receive humanitarian aid yesterday.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the country was “shocked” by the incident.
“China urges all parties concerned, especially Israel, to cease fighting immediately, ensure the safety and security of civilians, and ensure humanitarian access in order to avoid a further humanitarian disaster,” Mao said in a statement.
China has been one of the most vocal proponents of a cease-fire in United Nations meetings since Oct. 7 and has repeatedly called for an independent Palestinian state.
‘This is for Gaza’: George Galloway wins British Parliament seat
Veteran left-wing provocateur George Galloway has been elected to Parliament in the United Kingdom after winning a special election dominated by the Israel-Hamas war.
After running a pro-Palestinian campaign, Galloway won almost 40% of the vote in the English town of Rochdale, which has a sizable Muslim minority.
His victory underlines the divisions in the U.K. over the Israel-Hamas war, with protests consistently seen in support of both sides spilling onto British streets. But it also reflected specific factors at play in yesterday’s vote, which was overshadowed by controversy.
The opposition Labour Party pulled its support for its candidate, Azhar Ali, after leaked comments in which he suggested Israel was complicit in Hamas’ attack Oct. 7.
In his victory speech, Galloway explicitly attacked the Labour leader, widely expected to be the next U.K. prime minister, for supporting Israel in its war against Hamas. “Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza,” he said. “You will play a high price, in enabling, encouraging and covering for, the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza strip.”
France condemns Gaza aid convoy deaths, calls for independent probe
French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the deadly aid convoy incident and called for an immediate cease-fire.
“Deep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers,” Macron said on X today.
“I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice and respect for international law,” he added.
Speaking on French radio this morning, Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said the government would support the United Nations’ call for an independent investigation.
“The humanitarian situation has been catastrophic for several weeks now and what happened is indefensible and unjustifiable. Israel needs to be able to hear it and it needs to stop,” Sejourne said.
Despair after aid convoy deaths in Gaza
Palestinian civilians mourn after Israeli forces opened fire on crowds at an aid distribution point in Gaza City yesterday.
