HOME > World

Israeli troops open fire and kill more than 100 Palestinians who were waiting for humanitarian aid.

A massacre carried out by Israeli troops left at least 104 Palestinians dead and another 280 wounded.

Israeli soldier in operation in the Gaza Strip (Photo: ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES/Via Reuters)

Reuters Health officials in Gaza said on Thursday that Israeli fire on people awaiting aid near Gaza City killed 104 Palestinians and wounded 280, with one hospital reporting that it had received 10 bodies and dozens of wounded patients.

An Israeli military spokesman said he was unaware of any bombing in that area. Later, the military said dozens of people were injured as a result of pushing and shoving when aid trucks arrived in northern Gaza.

An Israeli source stated that troops opened fire on "several people" in the crowd who posed a threat to them.

The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that he "condemned the horrific massacre carried out by the Israeli occupation army this morning against people waiting for aid trucks at the Nabulsi roundabout."

Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said the incident occurred at the al-Nabusi roundabout, west of Gaza City, in the northern part of the enclave.

Medical teams were unable to cope with the volume and severity of injuries suffered by dozens of people arriving at al-Shifa hospital, according to Qidra.

The head of the Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza City, Hussam Abu Safieyah, said he received 10 bodies and dozens of injured patients from the incident west of the city.

"We don't know how many are in other hospitals," Safieyah told Reuters by telephone.

Hamas warned in a statement that the incident could lead to the failure of negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement on a truce and the release of hostages.

"The negotiations led by the movement's leadership are not a process conducted at the cost of our people's blood," he said, referring to Thursday's deaths and saying that Israel would be held responsible for any failure in the negotiations.

VIDEOS SHOW BODIES IN TRUCKS - The war in Gaza began when Hamas sent fighters into Israel on October 7. Gaza health officials say 30.000 people have been confirmed dead in the enclave since then, with thousands more reportedly buried under rubble.

Videos posted on social media showed trucks carrying numerous bodies. Reuters verified the location of a video at the al-Nabulsi roundabout, which showed several motionless men, as well as several injured people.

Another video, which Reuters could not verify, showed bloodied people being transported in a truck, doctors treating people on the floor of a hospital, and bodies being wrapped in shrouds.

"We don't want help like this. We don't want help and bullets together. There are too many martyrs," said a man in a video.