Biden now says Gaza ceasefire he predicted over ice cream probably WON'T happen by Monday - and reports of Israeli troops killing Palestinians waiting for food will 'complicate' hostage talks
By Miriam Kuepper, James Callery and Nikki Schwab
Daily Mail
Feb 29, 2024
Palestinians transport casualties following what Hamas called a 'massacre' on civilians waiting for food aid in Gaza City on Thursday by Isreal Defense Forces
President Joe Biden said Thursday that a ceasefire in Gaza probably won't happen by Monday, amid reports of Israeli troops shooting Palestinians waiting for food aid on Thursday.
While eating an ice cream cone Monday in New York City, Biden told reporters that ceasefire talks were 'close' and that his hope was that by the following Monday there would be a pause in fighting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chimed in the next day by pointing to U.S. polling that showed a majority of Americans supporting Israel, which he said gave Israel 'additional strength to continue the campaign until absolute victory.'
As Biden left for his Texas border trip Thursday he told reporters 'hope springs eternal' when asked about a ceasefire.
'I was on the telephone with people in the region,' he said. 'Probably not by Monday, but I'm hopeful.'
Biden also said he hadn't learned the full details of the more than 100 civilian deaths in Gaza, but answered 'I know it will' when asked if the violent episode would complicate ceasefire negotiations.
Hamas has accused the IDF of opening fire in a 'massacre' that has left 107 dead near Gaza City but Israel says Palestinians were killed when panicked truck drivers were surrounded and tried to drive through the crowd.
Israeli sources confirmed troops opened fire at 'several people' after feeling threatened by crowds near the aid point.
A witness said that the violence unfolded when thousands of people desperate for food rushed towards aid trucks at the western Nabulsi roundabout.
'Trucks full of aid came too close to some army tanks that were in the area and the crowd, thousands of people, just stormed the trucks,' the witness said, declining to be named for safety reasons.
'The soldiers fired at the crowd as people came too close to the tanks.'
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said the death toll has reached 107 and hundreds more were injured.
An Israeli government spokesperson described it as a tragedy and said initial indications show that deaths were caused by delivery drivers ploughing into a surging crowd.
'At some point the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, which were Gazan civilian drivers, ploughed into the crowds of people, ultimately killing, my understanding is, tens of people,' spokesperson Avi Hyman told reporters.
'It's obviously a tragedy but we're not sure of the specifics quite yet.'
Aerial photos released by the IDF purport to show the scene as Palestinians attempted to obtain food from aid trucks.
Heartbreaking footage also shows clusters of people surrounding several of the vehicles in scenes of desperation.
The White House said on Thursday it is looking into reports of Israeli fire on Palestinians waiting for aid, describing it as a 'serious incident'.
Al Jazeera published videos which they claim show the aftermath of the alleged shooting on Thursday. People appear to run away and take cover in one, while injured people are taken away in another
Aerial photos released by the IDF purport to show the scene as Palestinians attempted to obtain food from aid trucks near Gaza City
'We mourn the loss of innocent life and recognize the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are just trying to feed their families,' a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement.
'This underscores the importance of expanding and sustaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including through a potential temporary ceasefire.'
Hamas also released a statement warning it could stop taking part in negotiations after the incident.
It said: 'The negotiations conducted by the movement’s leadership are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people.'
Al Jazeera published videos which they claim show the aftermath of the alleged shooting. People appear to run away and take cover in one, while injured people are taken away in another.
'The crowd approached the forces in a manner that posed a threat to the troops, who responded to the threat with live fire,' one Israeli source said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak on the incident.
Witnesses claimed Israeli troops opened fire as people pulled flour and canned goods off trucks.
A spokesperson for the IDF said there was no knowledge of shelling at the location of the shooting in northern Gaza. The military later said dozens of people were hurt as a result of pushing and trampling when aid trucks arrived.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office said he 'condemned the ugly massacre conducted by the Israeli occupation army this morning against the people who waited for the aid trucks at the Nabulsi roundabout'.
Medical teams were unable to cope with the volume and severity of injuries from dozens of wounded people who arrived at al-Shifa hospital, Qidra said.
The head of Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza City, Hussam Abu Safieyah, said it had received 10 dead bodies and dozens of wounded patients from the incident west of the city. 'We don't know how many there are in other hospitals,' Safieyah said.
An image released by the IDF purporting to show the scene. 'At some point the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, which were Gazan civilian drivers, ploughed into the crowds of people, ultimately killing, my understanding is, tens of people,' Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman told reporters
An image released by the IDF purporting to show the scene as clusters of people surrounding several aid trucks
Doctors and nurses are looking after patients at the Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, on Thursday
Relatives of Palestinians killed during the attack mourn as their bodies are taken from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday
A man lies on the floor as Palestinians receive medical care at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, on Thursday
Palestinians carry the bodies of those killed in the attack from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday
Palestinians mourn near a body at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, after Israeli soldiers allegedly opened fire at Gaza residents waiting for aid trucks, on Thursday
Palestinians receive medical care at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, after Israeli soldiers allegedly opened fire at Palestinians who rushed towards trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, on Thursday
Injured Palestinians receive medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces opened fire on people waiting for humanitarian aid trucks after reportedly feeling threatened at Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City, Gaza, on Thursday
Palestinians carry the bodies of those killed from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday
Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at Shifa Hospital, said he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. 'We've been eating animal feed for two months,' he added.
He said Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd, causing it to scatter, with some people hiding under cars.
After the shooting stopped, they returned to the trucks and the soldiers opened fire again. Nahel said he was shot in the leg and fell over and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped off.
Medics arriving at the scene on Thursday found 'dozens or hundreds' lying on the ground, according to Fares Afana, the head of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza.
He said there were not enough ambulances to collect all the dead and wounded and that some were being brought to hospitals in donkey carts.
Palestinians mourn outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Gaza, where the bodies of those killed are lying outside the medical centre, on Thursday
Injured Palestinians receive medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces open fire on people waiting for humanitarian aid trucks at Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City
A Palestinian is resting on a barge at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, following IDF soldiers allegedly opening fire at Palestinians waiting for aid trucks
Palestinians mourn near bodies at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Thursday
Al Jazeera video claims to show Palestinians gathering for aid before the alleged Israeli attack
A Palestinian man receives medical care at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Thursday
Palestinians were brought to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza after they were injured in the alleged shooting
Bodies of Palestinians killed while waiting for humanitarian aid trucks at Al-Rashid Street, lay on the ground in shrouds at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Gaza, on Thursday
Videos posted on social media showed trucks carrying many dead bodies. Reuters verified the location of one video to Nabulsi roundabout that showed several men who were motionless, as well as several wounded people.
Another video, which hasn't been independently verified, showed bloodstained people being carried in a truck, medics treating people on a hospital floor, and bodies being wrapped in shrouds.
'We don't want aid like this. We don't want aid and bullets together. There are many martyrs,' one man said in a video.
Referring to the incident, an Israeli military spokesperson said: 'There is no knowledge of Israeli shelling in the area.'
Hamas warned in a statement that the incident could lead to the failure of talks aimed at a deal on a truce and hostage release.
'The negotiations conducted by the movement's leadership are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people,' it said, referring to Thursday's deaths and saying Israel would be responsible for any failure of the talks.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas sent fighters into Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Relatives of Palestinians killed during the attack mourn as their bodies are taken from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday
Al Jazeera video, which the news agency claims to show Palestinians gathering for aid in Gaza
Relatives of Palestinians killed during the attack mourn as their bodies are taken from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday
Palestinians carry the bodies of those killed in the attack from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday
Injured Palestinians receive medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Gaza, on Thursday
Palestinians sit by their injured relatives at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Gaza, on Thursday
Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say 30,035 people have been confirmed killed in the enclave since then, with thousands of others believed to be buried under rubble.
Another 70,457 were wounded according to the tally, but it does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures. It says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed.
The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, maintains detailed records of casualties. Its counts from previous wars have largely matched those of the UN, independent experts and even Israel's own tallies.
Gaza has suffered widespread devastation and has been largely isolated during the conflict. Trucks carrying food reached northern Gaza this week, the first major aid delivery to the area in a month, officials said on Wednesday.
Aid groups say it has become nearly impossible to deliver humanitarian assistance in most of Gaza because of the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order, with crowds of desperate people overwhelming aid convoys.
The UN says a quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation and around 80 per cent have fled their homes.
The increasing alarm over hunger across Gaza has fuelled international calls for another ceasefire, and the US, Egypt and Qatar are working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages.
Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around March 10. But so far, Israel and Hamas have remained far apart in public on their demands.
Meanwhile, UN officials have warned of further mass casualties if Israel follows through on vows to attack the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population has taken refuge.
They also say a Rafah offensive could decimate what remains of aid operations.
No comments:
Post a Comment