U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Thursday he was appalled at the reported killings and injuries of people during the transfer of aid supplies west of Gaza City.
“Even after close to five months of brutal hostilities, Gaza still has the ability to shock us,” Griffiths said in a post on X. “I’m appalled at the reported killing and injury of hundreds of people during a transfer of aid supplies west of Gaza City today.”
Health authorities in Gaza said on Thursday Israeli fire on people waiting for aid near Gaza City had killed 104 Palestinians and wounded 280, with one hospital saying it had received 10 bodies and dozens of injured patients.
Israel disputed the account and the death toll provided by health officials in Hamas-run Gaza, saying aid trucks had been surrounded by hundreds of people and in the confusion many were trampled or run over, though it acknowledged its forces had later opened fire.