Israeli forces in war-torn Gaza have opened fire on Palestinians scrambling for food aid on Thursday, killing more than 100 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
The Israeli military, however, says a “stampede” occurred when thousands of desperate Gazans surrounded a convoy of 38 aid trucks, leading to dozens of deaths and injuries, including some who were run over by the lorries.
Israeli army spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, says the military fired a few warning shots to try to disperse a crowd that ambushed the aid trucks.
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When the crowd got too big, he says the convoy tried to retreat and the unfortunate incident resulted in dozens of Gazans killed and injured.
US President Joe Biden says Washington is checking what he calls two competing versions of the incident, while a State Department spokesman says the United States has been in touch with Israel and is “pressing for answers” on what happened.
The incident adds to a Palestinian death toll from the war which the ministry earlier Thursday said had topped 30,000, and dampens hopes a truce deal between Israel and Hamas militants could be just days away.
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