The tragedy that occurred on Thursday in Gaza – around a hundred dead, according to Hamas, in a riot followed by shooting by the Israeli army during a food aid distribution – generated a multitude of international reactions on Friday 1er March, with many countries pressing for a ceasefire.
According to the health ministry in the Hamas-administered Gaza Strip, Israeli bombings and military operations have killed 30,228 people in the territory since the outbreak of war, following the bloody attack by Hamas commandos. infiltrated into southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Calls for ceasefire and independent investigation after tragedy during aid distribution in Gaza
Witnesses said Israeli soldiers fired on a hungry crowd rushing towards humanitarian aid trucks in the early hours of Thursday in Gaza City. An Israeli army official confirmed “limited shots” of soldiers who felt ” threat “ and mentioned “a stampede during which dozens of residents were killed and injured, some run over by aid trucks”.
In the eyes of American President Joe Biden, this drama will complicate talks for a truce. A faithful ally of Israel, Washington has demanded “answers” of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and pleaded for “an agreement on a temporary ceasefire”.
France demanded a “independent investigation” and Germany called for a “humanitarian truce”. The European Union (EU) also called for an investigation and a ceasefire for the delivery of humanitarian aid into the strip, delivery subject to Israeli agreement. The UN Security Council is to continue discussions on a draft declaration on the tragedy in Gaza.
The EU will release 50 million euros for UNRWA
The EU will unblock ” At the beginning of next week “ 50 million euros in aid to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) before a possible release of an additional 32 million in the long term, the European Commission announced on Friday.
This decision “timely”reacted on the social network the Commissioner General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, eight days after announcing that his organization had reached a “breaking point with Israel’s repeated calls for its dismantling and the freezing of donor funding in the face of unprecedented humanitarian needs in Gaza”.
Two additional tranches of 16 million euros each will be released later “depending on the application of the agreement”add the text. UNRWA said it was “ready for a review of its employees to confirm that none participated in the attacks” And “that additional controls are established to limit this risk in the future”specifies the press release.
EU money “will support the agency’s efforts to maintain vital and essential services for Palestinian refugees”estimated Mr. Lazzarini, for whom the “total disbursement of the contribution [européenne] is crucial to the agency’s ability to continue its operations in a very unstable area”.
Also listen Crisis at UNRWA: why the UN agency for Palestinian refugees is in turmoil
Hamas says seven hostages died due to Israeli strikes in Gaza
Hamas’ military wing said Friday evening that seven hostages held in the Gaza Strip had died in recent weeks due to “bombing” Israelis on Palestinian territory.
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Hamas fighters claimed that three hostages, of whom the Islamist movement had released a video on Thursday, were among the seven dead. They said the names of the other four dead hostages would be revealed when they were “confirmed”. It was not possible on Friday to confirm this information from an independent source.