Investigation demanded

Deaths in Gaza aid convoy: Who is to blame?

(Bild: APA/AFP/Israeli Army)

Calls for an independent investigation are growing louder following the incident in which many people were killed during the arrival of aid supplies. The information is contradictory: Hamas speaks of more than 100 people killed by shots fired by Israeli soldiers, while Israel's army speaks of people being trampled down in a panicked flight.

One thing is certain: the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic. Due to Israel's war against the terrorist organization Hamas, many Palestinians are starving and relief supplies are scarce. So when 38 trucks of food arrived in Gaza on Thursday morning, it was no wonder that hundreds of people flocked around the trucks to get their hands on supplies. This could be seen on aerial photographs taken by the Israeli army.

Information contradicts itself
There are contradictory accounts of what happened next: According to reports from eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers began shooting shortly after the arrival of the aid supplies, reports US broadcaster CNN. The truck drivers then tried to flee and unintentionally rammed into people, causing further deaths and injuries.

Hundreds of people flocked to the trucks full of relief supplies early on Thursday morning.(Bild: APA/AFP/Israeli Army)

Most of the people were killed when the trucks rammed into them, a journalist from Gaza told CNN. Although there were large numbers of hungry people, the chaos only began when Israeli soldiers opened fire. According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza, at least 112 people died in the incident and 760 others were injured.

Israel: people trampled underfoot
Israel's armed forces (IDF) also spoke of deaths, but in an initial statement on Thursday there was no mention of gunfire. Residents of Gaza had surrounded the trucks and "looted" delivered goods. Dozens of people were killed in the crush and injured because they were trampled or run over.

In a further statement on Thursday, a representative of the Israeli army explained that there had been two separate incidents involving aid trucks. After the jostling, a group of Palestinians had approached the Israeli troops, who then opened fire.

Army spokesman: Tanks fired warning shots
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari denied in a briefing that there had been an Israeli attack on the convoy (see video below). Israeli tanks had fired warning shots to disperse the crowd after the crush began. The tanks were there "to secure the humanitarian corridor", he emphasized. After the crowd grew and the situation got out of control, the tank commander decided to "withdraw to prevent thousands of people in the Gaza Strip from being harmed", said Hagari.

The official Israeli accounts contradict the eyewitness reports. The worldwide horror at the bloody incident is therefore being joined by ever louder calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, many countries - including the USA - are calling on Israel to fully clarify the circumstances of the deadly catastrophe.

Hamas' position strengthened?
What the incident means for the tough negotiations on a ceasefire was not initially foreseeable. The US President told CNN on Thursday that it would certainly complicate the negotiations. He nevertheless expressed optimism that an agreement on the release of the Hamas hostages and a ceasefire could be reached soon. Israeli media expressed fears that the incident could strengthen Hamas' negotiating position and become a turning point in the war, which has been going on for almost five months.