what we know about the deaths of at least 20 people near an aid distribution point in Gaza

Hamas claims Israel opened fire on Palestinians waiting for an aid convoy near Gaza City. Media on site and witnesses reported numerous deaths and injuries.

At least 20 people were killed on the night of Thursday March 14 to Friday March 15 by gunfire at an aid distribution point in the north of the Gaza Strip, the Hamas Ministry of Health announced. The Islamist movement said at least 155 people had been injured. These claims are rejected by Israel. The army claimed not to have “attack” Palestinians on the site concerned.

Hamas had already accused Israel of opening fire on Palestinians during an aid distribution on February 29, killing more than 100 people. The situation provoked outrage from the international community. Franceinfo summarizes what we know about the tragedy.

Hamas accuses Israel of shooting Gazans

The events occurred at the Kuwait roundabout, located on the outskirts of Gaza City (north of the enclave), on the night of March 14. “I“There was direct fire from the occupying forces on people gathered at the Kuwait roundabout to wait for trucks with food to arrive.”Doctor Mohammed Ghurab, director of emergency services at al-Chifa hospital, told AFP. “An Israeli helicopter opened fire” on the people gathered, reports an Al-Jazeera correspondent on site.

Another witness assured the NGO Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor that “Israeli army [avait] opened fire (…) as soon as the humanitarian aid trucks approached the roundabout”. Images shared by the pan-Arab news site Middle East Eye on the social network show several dead bodies and passers-by searching for survivors.

A toll of at least 20 dead and 155 injured

An AFP collaborator says he saw numerous ambulances transporting remains and gunshot wounds to al-Chifa hospital, the news agency reports. “The toll of victims transported to al-Chifa hospital was revised upwards to 20 dead and 155 injured”, declared the Hamas Ministry of Health on Friday morning. Images broadcast by Al-Jazeera in Arabic on YouTube show dozens of injured people sitting and lying in the hospital corridors.

Israel denies shooting at civilians

For its part, the Israeli army denied opening fire on a crowd waiting for humanitarian aid in the north of the Gaza Strip, it said in a statement. “Press reports that Israeli forces attacked dozens of Gazans at an aid distribution point are incorrect”, the Israeli army first indicated in a brief statement. She subsequently asserted that “Armed Palestinians” had fired on the crowd.

“No tank fire, air strikes or gunshots were carried out towards civilians”assured the army which indicates having carried out a “review of [ses] operational systems”, in a statement, the Israeli army. When the trucks arrived, “The armed Palestinians continued to shoot as the crowd of Gazans began to loot the trucks”added the army, specifying that“a number of civilians” had been “crushed by trucks”.

A previous distribution had turned into a bloodbath

The Gaza Ministry of Health said on February 29 that more than a hundred people had been killed during a food distribution in the north of the Gaza Strip. The event, which left 750 injured, was nicknamed “the flour massacre” by the Palestinians.

The Israeli army had at the time admitted to having opened fire on Palestinians, grateful for “limited shots” by Israeli soldiers feeling “threat“, but had refuted having carried out drone attacks. The tragedy had sparked condemnation from the international community. French President Emmanuel Macron then expressed his “firmer disapproval“and demanded”truth” And “justice“.